When I read this story about the 16-year-old apprentice jockey that was dragged to death by a horse my emotions were mixed.

There was stunned thrill when I read the headline, as I immediately assumed it referred to one of the contestants on Trump's show. Disappointment followed when I realized I was wrong. Then there was a moment of resignation as I thought about the months and years ahead in which I'd continue to be subjected to the contestants on The Apprentice. I then felt real sadness as I thought about the 16-year-old Australian, cruelly cut down in his prime. Perhaps even before his prime. That emotion gave way to some shock and happiness that the ages-old system of apprenticeship lives on today, as I am a big believer in the value of vocational training. My joy gave way to curiosity about what an apprenticeship in the art of jockeying might entail and how long it might be. I then laughed to myself as I made a joke in my head about how, apparently, it should entail a little more about how not to get dragged to death by a horse. Then I felt guilt because I laughed to myself. My guilt gave way to anger at some anonymous other, as it usually does, when I began thinking about the kind of degenerate gambler parents who enter their son into a jockey apprenticeship at age 16.

Analogcabin @ 12:49 PM
Permalink |