Edge of the Comfort Zone

How Hertz put me in the anxious-driver's seat

Image generated by ChatGPT 4o

To hear the related 5-minute audio file that I uploaded today as my Morning Journal flash briefing for Alexa devices, please click on the play button:

Back Home, Stronger

I love Apple CarPlay.

When I rent a car, the first thing I do is connect my iPhone to the USB port, so I can see Apple Maps on the dashboard screen for reliable navigation.

Last weekend, something went wrong with the Buick Envision I rented from Hertz at Boston’s Logan Airport.

All of a sudden the screen went black.

I got to my first destination okay. I tried reconnecting with Bluetooth, then changing to a spare cable. When I resumed my driving, CarPlay continued to come and go at random.

In spite of the glitch, I was able to drive the Buick from Logan to my daughter’s house west of Boston, then up to Maine and back for my return flight to Florida. No mishaps.

At home here in Sanibel, I realize that overcoming the CarPlay Challenge left me feeling more capable and confident. At 74, I sometimes worry in advance of a trip, whether it’s to France or Boston. Am I really up to this? Shouldn’t I be taking fewer risks as I age?

Those are normal questions as we grow older. In fact, I recall raising similar concerns with my parents as they aged into their 80s and beyond.

There are plenty of things I can’t do in my 70s that were possible when I was younger. I have zero chance of ever winning the Yale Younger Poets prize. (I passed that one 43 years ago.)

Leaning into risk at any age strengthens mental resilience and self-trust. My world seems larger when I return from an adventure. Or at least it doesn’t appear to be shrinking into ever-smaller boundaries of comfort.

As I recorded the Morning Journal today, I found myself thinking of an international convention in Vancouver next year that I had written off as too far to travel, with too many logistical challenges to navigate.

Maybe I’ll take buses and Uber instead of renting a car.

Maybe I’ll go after all.