03/06/2024
I personally suffer from Major Depressive Disorder with Suicidal Ideation. I have struggled with this for years while working a full-time job and then as a dog trainer specializing in training Service Dogs for those who also have similar or related disabilities.
I know how I see the world, but a couple days ago saw a video on FB that made me realize how many of my client’s see the same world. I thought I would take a minute and try to explain the scope of how dynamically different we see the same thing.
The example I am going to use happened today. Myself with my Service Dog and a friend with her Service Dog come out of a store and approach her vehicle. Parked on the other side of the car is pickup truck with a large German Shephard in the backseat and the window fully rolled down. Understand, I have no prejudice against the German Shephard's. It could have been a Chihuahua, and it would have made no difference to our two reactions.
We both stop next to each other with the car between us and the dog looking out of the pickup. The dog was looking at us inquisitively. We must have been thinking the same thing simultaneously, because I asked if I could load my dog from her side of the car.
[You may not get where I am going with this, so let me explain. In my mind, I had walked around the car with my dog to load him using the passenger rear door, the German Shephard lunged out of the window and savagely attacked my dog before I could even react.]
My lady friend said, “Yes, load your dog first”. She had the exact same thought I did but, in her mind, the German Shephard attacked both dogs. I loaded my dog from the driver’s side rear, she then loaded hers. Everyone was safe. When I walked around the car the Sherman Shephard gave a small snarl.
This type of interaction plays out hundreds of times a day for some of us. Learning to look at the situation and mitigate the worst-case scenario before it happens and continuing on your way is key.
