Adjusting Expectations
Reading accounts of life in preindustrial contexts is often a lurching experience. We find so many instances where we are used to, “And we started her up and motored on through!” Where, instead days weeks, even months or years, are spent dealing with a discrete obstacle of distance, or adverse conditions such as wind, or current, or altitude; we expect to simply power-on to get what we want, when we want it. The same holds true regarding getting things done. Instead of a few clicks and the delightful expectation of an overnight delivery, we read of the grueling effort required to make the simplest thing.
Horizons of Significance 