Now those of us who have read this or who have heard it repeated by someone who had read it knows it to be an exaggeration. But is it really? Once, when commenting on technology, Edward Abbey said, “We spend more time working for our labor-saving machines than they do working for us.”
In their book “The Good Life” Helen and Scott Nearing tell of digging a pond on their Maine farm using shovels and wheelbarrows. During the years of on and off construction 16,000 wheelbarrows loads of dirt were moved. Now none of us would attempt anything of the sort we would not see the necessity of such effort, but the fact remains, it is possible, but not without the wheelbarrow.
No, I am not advocating doing away with all of our wheel equipment although I believe we could do without some of it without causing hardship with better planning. But I do wonder if most of it will serve us for as long and as usefully as the wheelbarrow.
Oh, one more thing do you remember the laughter and joy of pushing a wheelbarrow load of kids around the place and then grandkids, and then great grandkids (but each generation at a much slower pace)? I do. 🙂