We bought a paper map

We got lost on our bikes in northern Germany a few weeks ago. Not properly lost. Just not entirely sure where we were.

My children would have used an app. We had a paper map, so we took several wrong turns. We stopped, looked, guessed, turned again. Twice we ended up somewhere we would never have chosen, and those were the best parts of the week.

Later I read a list of experiences people don’t have any more because of phones. Getting lost was number four.

Something similar happens in English. A sentence goes somewhere you didn’t plan, and you decide the whole thing failed. Your listener is usually still with you. They only want to know where you’re going next.

Getting lost isn’t always a problem to solve.

Quick win: When a sentence goes wrong, say “What I mean is…” and keep going. You don’t have to cycle back to the beginning.