Kirk Johnson
Appearances
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
Okay. Did I ever tell you the story about... I think I did when my... when my horse got sick?
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
Joe Biden Joe Biden the horse and Mamie and Gramps went to visit uncle Soren in Russia they were far away and they left me home alone I was like 14 or 15 and one day I I went down to check on Joe one morning before school and he was lying on the ground like he was kneeling down, which is not a good sign for a horse. And I didn't know what to do.
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
And so I went to school and then I came back and I was really nervous and Joe was still lying on the ground. and every day I was like trying to get him to eat food and stuff and he wasn't eating anything and so you know what I did? You know what my best idea was? What? I started digging a grave next to Joe like a big hole a little bit every day so that if he died
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
there would be a big hole right next to him. That was my smart idea. And then Mimi and Gramps got home, and they're like, what are you doing? I was like, I'm digging a grave for Joe. And they're like, why don't you just call the veterinarian? And the veterinarian came and gave him a shot, and he was totally fine. But after that, Joe kind of looked at me a little funny.
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
Well, when I realized it was a creature that I was, a beloved pet of ours that I was convinced was about to die.
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
But halfway through, I realized, oh, God, I'm getting them right into death and dying and uncertainty about how to handle a situation. How do I get out of this?
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
The tortoise is fine. But in that moment, when it was so unclear what to do,
This American Life
852: Pivot Point
And if I really think about it, that story is about decision making without enough information. I didn't know what to do. And the best idea I came up with was just impossibly stupid. But yeah, the moral of that story is like, sometimes you choose poorly.