The Four Horsemen

B. Thomas Cooper

This may come as a surprise to some, but when the four horsemen of the apocalypse ascend upon Earth, they will be riding steeds with familiar names. I don't believe these names are ever actually articulated in the Bible, but they are most certainly alluded to...
Ignorance,
Arrogance,
Pride,
Greed.

Sound familiar?
These are ingredients necessary for social collapse... the loss of civility.

And so I ask of you, which of these horses have you been riding lately?

Those who fein dismay and profess to be guilty of none of the above may step to the front of the line...
you have already demonstrated a propensity for the first three horses.
Mount your steeds and prepare to ride.

I'm a fairly decent rider, if I may say so myself. I tend to favor horses two and three... Arrogance and Pride.
Admittedly, I have been thrown more than once, and on occasion I have come dangerously close to being kicked in the teeth. So far, my saving grace has been the understanding that a horse will normally kick with it's hind legs. In order for an individual to be kicked in the teeth, one must position one's face within precarious proximity of the horse's ass. Obviously, when given the choice, I prefer foresight rather than hindsight.

My point?
It can be most beneficial to learn whatever possible about the horse upon which one is riding.
Have you a firm grip of the reigns, or are you simply along for the ride? As any skilled rider can attest to,
if you have doubt as to who's in control, rest assured, it isn't you. You can also bet the seat of your pants the horse will figure this out before you do.

The Four Horsemen, indeed!
I'm certainly no expert on the Bible. Fortunately for me, my devoted wife attended two years of Bible college, and possesses a rather thorough understanding of the Good Book...
even the not so pleasant parts.

Of course, I love a good book. I love books of all sizes. My wife and I have amassed a rather impressive collection of books, many which I fear may someday be destroyed by the aforementioned apocalypse. It saddens me to imagine the works of Vonnegut, Irving, Thoreau, Rand, Homer, and even Christ himself, being trod upon by horses of any ilk. I am further mortified by the notion that such blatant disrespect could occur while someone with whom we are familiar is holding the reigns.

Don't scoff just yet... I've seen signs. Perhaps you didn't notice, but a few months back, while the eyes of an entire country were focused on Janet Jackson's breast plate, (that's Ms Jackson, if you're nasty) the four horsemen were grazing their steeds on the White House lawn.
Perhaps you're attention was elsewhere.

Then again, perhaps, just perhaps, it has been the riders among us, rather than the horses who have been sporting blinders.

They'll be back, of course... the four horsemen, that is. They'll be riding horses with familiar names, and I suspect they will indeed wreak said havoc upon said Earth. How can I be sure?
Well, for starters, it says so in the Good Book.
The real kicker?
When I listen closely, I can hear the distinct sound of horses in the distance, chomping at the bit.