(Proverbs 14:4 KJV) Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.It stood out to me because I had quoted it to some people working in a cluttered environment. I was pointing out that clutter is often the sign of work going on. As I read it I noticed one thing that was not mentioned: the yoke.
Certain inventions have changed the way our society functions. They have made it possible for common people to gain security and success. One of them was the yoke. Before the yoke draft animals were only for the rich. An ox or horse could not earn its daily grain because it could only pull so hard with a rope around its neck without choking. The yoke put the pressure on the bones of the shoulders and produced much more work for the same effort. Suddenly the peasant could afford an ox because the ox generated wealth. No longer did he need to hook his wife and children to the plow.
How many little things will I use today that were once revolutionary? Do I marvel every time I flick a switch and the light comes on? Am I overcome with awe when I zip my pants up in less than a second? Do I rejoice when I hop in my car and drive seven miles to pick up a quart of milk? How about when I hear the thump in the night and realize that I not only have a baseball bat but six rounds of lead if the wood isn’t enough.
So much that we take for granted.
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.