Today's Lesson....

[ladysprite]

Arguments that one is a useless person who has never accomplished much and doesn't contribute much to the world or society are somewhat undermined when the argument in question is interrupted by the arguer having to scamper off and perform CPR on an emergency patient.

Sometimes I forget that things that I take for granted as part of my life and job, and therefore boring and commonplace, are neither. Not everyone, for instance, can contemplate the relative merits of Diet Coke and Campbell's Tomato Soup for removing the taste of cat-nose from your mouth and look at it as a mildly interesting conundrum but not enough to throw off your equilibrium.

I need to remember that just because I do something, that doesn't automatically make it boring, insignificant, or worthless....

Comments

[arachne8x.livejournal.com]

This is very true. *hugs*

[denimskater.livejournal.com]

"removing the taste of cat-nose from your mouth"

O_o

Glee at that quote.

[blaisepascal]

I assume that you were arguing that you were useless, unaccomplished, and non-contributory? What a silly thing to argue.

Curiosity overwhelms... Which is better, in your opinon, Diet Code or Campbells's Tomatoe Soup? And did the patient make it?

[wcg.livejournal.com]

You sure got that right.

for example

[mamatiger.livejournal.com]

Let's put it this way: the idea of picking up a knife and cutting into a REAL LIVE LIVING BREATHING CREATURE terrifies me like you wouldn't believe. And yet, you do it routinely -- more than that, you enjoy it! Take pride in your skills!

If you think that "just anyone" can learn to be an expert surgeon, allow me to politely disagree. :)

[chaiya.livejournal.com]

*hugs* hakamadare and I sometimes talk about how the things that are easy for us to do seem less worthwhile, whereas the things that seem hard for us seem more significant. It's a sobering attitude, and we're trying to change our perspective on it.

This also feeds into the idea I think we got from Vis, that if something isn't hard for us to do, we can do it for other people as often as is feasible, because it might be hard for them. Pay it forward and whatnot. :)

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

I need to remember that just because I do something, that doesn't automatically make it boring, insignificant, or worthless....

It's all too easy to take what we do for granted. I am in awe of you (and veterinarians in general)- medicine is hard enough when you can talk to the patient about their symptoms...

[jducoeur]

I need to remember that just because I do something, that doesn't automatically make it boring, insignificant, or worthless....

Yaas. Frankly, I've long thought that you have a remarkable collection of interesting skills -- by now, a more diverse array of them than almost anyone else I know...

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

You are about as far from boring and commonplace as it's possible to get.

[dornbeast.livejournal.com]

I need to remember that just because I do something, that doesn't automatically make it boring, insignificant, or worthless.

Most of the population needs to remember that.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I need to remember that just because I do something, that doesn't automatically make it boring, insignificant, or worthless.

Yes, this. I remember having this discussion with you a decade ago on a.c., when you were just determined to believe that anything YOU did well was so easy that ANYONE could do it well if they just tried, while anything someone else did well that you had trouble with was proof that you were stupid and worthless for not being able to do it easily. You never saw, back then, that those two arguments were mutually incompatible; I think you do see it now.

It's only the Goddamn Tapes that believe your accomplishments mean nothing, and you can tell them to STFU; it's not easy, but it can be done.