I’ve always wanted a world map on my wall and to stick little markers in it for the cities I’ve visited. I have one rolled up under the bed in my office. One day I’ll get round to putting it up. Maybe soon – seeing as I have all that non-travelling time on my hands.
Except, I don’t seem to have time at the moment. No time for writing this week – I’m a delivery supremo!
Over the past few days, instead of a world map, it would have been useful to have a massive street map of the local area with all the care homes, GP surgeries, schools, hospitals and other charity locations to which my sewing group needed to deliver. We seem to have moved proper industrial quantities of our locally crafted goods to such places this week – 3400 in fact.
Oh, the feeling of power (after – of course – the feeling of confusion at the long list of orders packed and ready, and the feeling of panic before any of the drivers accepted my invitation to help).
I was at mission control – choosing which orders to put on each route, deciding which driver to ask to do each one, and then imperiously directing my team of driving volunteers hither and thither. Now we have a WhatsApp group to monitor access to our warehouse, I could see progress as each driver requested the key or checked with the others whether they were already there.
I was a small child again, directing a game. Running the pandas on Z-Cars (show your age, why don’t you?). Or at the control centre on Ambulance (Is the patient breathing??)
Even better, it involved transportation – I always loved journeys and map plotting.
Better still, when the deliveries are confirmed – I mark each order on the spreadsheet Green. I love a good spreadsheet – stats, colour-codes, numbers, targets!
My fellow volunteers are teasing me about this now.
I’ve clearly found my calling. All I need now is a bigger warehouse with robust shelving and a fork-lift truck (or better, an automated picking system) – and DRONES!!!!
Sorry, I’ve gone too far there. How would I be able to have a joke with a drone?