Would you rather…
On the way to parkour this evening, my daughter and I were playing the classic game of Would You Rather. One of the scenarios we came up with was: Would you rather ride a wild horse bareback or a wild elephant?
My daughter quickly chose the horse, which seemed like the more sensible and obvious choice. However, I went with the elephant—and there’s a very particular reason why!
When I was a teenager, a friend and I went on a camping trip. It was a great adventure and the weather was surprisingly kind (a rare treat in the UK!). We were staying near the moors in Devon and so set off on what we thought would be a peaceful, scenic walk. That peaceful vibe quickly shifted when we came across a band of wild horses.
They didn’t seem inclined to leave us alone, and before we knew it, they were right up in our space. I remember edging backward into a bush, trying to make myself as small and invisible as possible. I’d heard that looking a horse in the eye could come across as threatening, so my friend and I froze, staring at the ground as the horses loomed over us. To put it mildly, I was terrified!
Coming back to the game, that experience with wild horses is burned into my body’s memory. My nervous system remembers how scary it felt and screams, “Nope!” at the thought of riding one. Elephants, on the other hand, are unfamiliar territory. I have no personal experiences—positive or negative—with them, so my brain doesn’t associate them with fear. They feel like the safer option, simply because I don’t know what to expect.
Horse riding in the sunset
Here’s the fascinating part: my reaction wasn’t just a random preference. It was my body remembering the past and trying to protect me. Memories don’t always store as clear pictures; they often imprint as feelings. For example, I remember the horses being right in our faces, though I can’t be sure if that’s completely accurate. What I do know is how it felt: they were intimidatingly close. Even if the details blur over time, our bodies hold onto the emotions tied to those moments—and that’s what drives our reactions.
And all that insight came from a simple game of Would You Rather! Next time you play, pause and wonder—what memories or feelings might be shaping your answer?
Happy elephant