lives

[sbtorpey]

As we were walking home up 9th Ave last night, a horse-drawn carriage rushed past us down 9th. The horse was running full-out, many times faster than I've ever seen a horse pulling one of those things go, and the driver was straining to try to get the horse back under control. "Something sure scared that horse," I said. The carriage blew through

Comments

[surpheon]

You should send that into the editor at the Times. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but every so often I think that a handful of words like the above achieve a similar multiplier of meaning.

[fanlain]

Even reading your post, I felt the same. After the first paragraph, I was just thinking well what happened about the horse? Now I'm curious how it made it from 9th to 50th without getting injured, killed, or under control in that many blocks when really I should be thinking about Darfur...I think it's because there's more events happening in the first paragraph whereas the second has mostly numbers to describe events...the personal narrative is always more powerful.

The horse probably made it from 9th to 50th faster than a taxi shark. That somewhow deserves an award, but I don't understand why the horse had to be put to death over it? I'm curious what did scare him in the first place?

[whiskeypants]

it's entirely possible the horse was badly injured enough that euthanasia was the only course.

[rebbyribs]

I don't understand why the horse had to be put to death over it?

The horse crashed into a car. It was probably so injured that putting it down was the most merciful thing to do.

last run

[sbtorpey]

Sorry: I gave you unclear Manhattan-specific geography. It was running down 9th Avenue the whole time, and so only made it a few blocks after we saw it; I don't know where it started running. I think we were waiting to cross 53rd Street when it passed us, so it must have hit the car only seconds after it passed out of view, down where 9th Ave crosses 50th Street.

I assume the collision with the car left the horse so badly hurt that euthanasia was just the recommended medical response, not a punishment. But maybe not.

I wonder why it felt the need to run like that too. Was I even right to assume it was scared?

Even a direct witness of an event has so little idea what's really happening.

[anemone]

I wish I could write like that.

It seems wrong to not comment on your message, but it came across so clearly and powerfully that anything I say would detract. So I'll stick with "I wish I could write like that."

[auros]

Clearly Sarah needs to sign up for Prairie Home Companion's Professional Organization of English Majors.

[whiskeypants]

wow.

[eviladmin]

I agree with anemone, I wish I could write like that...