(Editor’s Note: This op-ed is from our archives and was originally published May 22, 3500 BCE.)
Whatever happened to walking?
Technology is increasing at a rapid rate. In the last thousand years we’ve invented rowing oars, the sewing needle, potter’s wheels – and now we’ve domesticated the horse. Is humanity really ready for so much innovation so quickly?
When I was young, if we had somewhere to go, we had only our two feet to rely on. Walking as a family allowed us to converse and grow closer. Gone are the days of bonding together through transportation; it’s simply impossible to carry a conversation over the clopping of hooves. What is Grandma up to these days? Who knows? Probably her horse, but certainly not me.
Equally disturbing are the family rifts directly caused by this newfangled technology. It used to be that everyone lived nearby, because that was our only option. Now people can just pick up and live their lives across the horizon, only returning for visits. Whatever happened to living closely together because the only other choice was wandering too far and dying? Are we coddling the next generation by shielding them from life’s cruelties?
Besides, just who are these horses? Is anyone vetting them before slapping a saddle on their back and riding off together? Are they trustworthy, good horses, or have they been convicted of horse crimes? There’s absolutely no regulation, and for all we know our new invention may become too powerful for its own good.
It is my personal prediction that if we do not halt this irresponsible, unsafe experiment, horses will be in full control within the next twenty-five years. Can you possibly imagine a horse living in your home? If you haven’t, it’s time to do so – or submit to it happening in reality.
It’s time to take a stand and walk away from horses.