Assumptions are the mother of all mess-ups.

Rule number one, not just in the software industry (where I first learned it).

The trouble with assumptions is that we usually don't recognize them as such.

I got reminded of that when I spoke to Dr. Marie Holowaychuk for the Soul Touched by Dogs podcast about what it's really like to be a veterinarian.

To be honest, I'd never really thought about what's actually going on behind the scenes, but I sure had my opinions 🤪

Admittedly, vet visits are often a stressful experience - worrying about the dog's health, maybe the dog hates the vet office and is anxious .. so it's me worrying about the dog worrying ..

.. which is, of course, not an ideal situation to contemplate how the vet might be experiencing the whole situation .. and all the other things they're dealing with.

What Dr. Marie shared was eye-opening - heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

I'll never look at a vet the same again, and neither will you if you take a 30-minute break and watch/listen to the full episode (link in the comments.)