Uprooting was traumatic. It was cruel and unusual punishment. We were being torn from friends and family. We were to be cut off from the world we knew. Free will was clearly suppressed, while deterministic parental autocratic rule prevailed.

The propaganda machine was in full force. We were going on an adventure. Heading west would open up all sorts of new opportunities. Home would be on The Road. We would live in the Outdoors and challenge the elements. We would cross the Great Plains, conquer Rocky Mountain Passes, glimpse Wild Animals, and jump into the Pacific Ocean. I was not convinced. But darn it, they knew my weakness. When they mentioned that I could ride horses, I finally buckled and threw in my lot with my parents.

While we might protest, our pets had no say in the matter. Someone should have called the ASPCA! Where was justice for all things great and small?