Tough times can change your perspective

One of the great things about working on a magazine is that every month our team gets to meet more veterinarians. There are always new people calling with a question, sending us letters and practice tips, and submitting articles. Building those new relationships is very rewarding. And each one of you has an interesting story to tell.

For example, Dr. R. Craig Brakeman shared an amazing survival story with us this month. He got past a toxic work situation that got so difficult that his life was actually endangered. But today he's celebrating his first anniversary at his new practice, and he takes Cruiser, the golden retriever in the photograph on page 53, to local elementary schools to talk about pet care and safety.

It's interesting to me that broadening our horizons every month often brings home the lesson that it's a pretty small world. And even smaller when you focus on one segment of an industry the way Veterinary Economics does.

My case in point: It turns out the photographer we hired to take Dr. Brakeman's photograph was also at a rescue of 100 pets after Hurricane Katrina. A local organization had gone to Louisiana and rescued pets due to be euthanized. When they got back, community veterinarians met them at 2 a.m. to check the pets in, do health checks, and get them vaccinated. The photographer covered the story, and Dr. Brakeman says he helped get the word out about these homeless pets.

Of course, there are many stories of survival and contribution related to the hurricanes this year, and others in the past. In this issue we share a special package that features four doctors' experiences in disaster situations and the critical lessons they took away about who they are, what it takes to keep a business running under such circumstances, and the influence they exercise in their communities. I helped with the planning for this piece, of course, so I knew what was coming. But I was still moved when I read the article. (It starts on page 33, if you're intrigued.)

These doctors and their team members are amazing. And what's even more moving for me is that we're presenting just a small sample of the crises veterinarians' face and of the people who've come together under extraordinary circumstances to achieve remarkable things. There are many more stories out there yet to be discovered.

If you're like me, you'd really prefer to sidestep these kinds of challenges, if possible. Yet I believe we all appreciate the good things in life more when we see the threat of losing them. Personally, I probably need to do more preparing for the worst and more appreciating what I've got now. You know, see the glass half full—or even spilling over.

Do you have a story to share? We want to learn how your experiences changed your approach to practice. So get in touch! We'd love to get to know you.