problem solving it is not like one stop shopping....i see a problem and poof, i do one magical thing and it goes away. not likely..in fact, i probably just made it a whole lot worse.
it is a slippery slope...there are times that something requires immediate intervention now...there are times when caution, care and deep thought are needed, AND there are times when no problem exists except in the eyes of the beholder and then attempting anything at all is going to cause a big kerfuffle.
when you really work with animals, i mean really immerse yourself in them and their care...you learn something. like not everything is at it seems and there are no such things as the quick fix and everything you do is going to ripple out and effect something else. so you better have a cool head and the ability to act quickly and decisively and you better be able to go soft and slow and really think about what you are doing too. and you better be able to know the difference.
and the crux of it all, is knowing when there really is a problem and knowing exactly what that problem really is if it is there.
this is why so many animals lose their homes, because humans can't figure this out...we just knee jerk react, over and over, you cannot do that if you are working in rescue. this is exactly what happened to kelsey... poor thing, she lost her home and a month later she is dead because the solution to the problem of kelsey was fraught with pitfalls.
i don't know if it is a skill or a talent or a gift or just plain old good luck, this ability to figure stuff out and follow thru and actually make things better instead of worse or even just to cause no harm. but i know that a good dose of simple common sense and clarity and an even bigger dose of personal responsibility and committment usually are part of the winning team.
i have learned not to jump just because someone else says so, i have learned not to get tripped up in other peoples issues and fears and i have learned really well how to stand stubborn and unmoving when others are trying to push me around.
and i learned all of it so that the animals are safe.
all of the saints are here because someone needed their problem to disappear, well here they don't have to disappear, here they get the best of my thinking and caring and planning and all the best of the things i have learned along the way.
and still...really? it is not good enough because i need to think and care and learn even more...but, i am well planted on that road and it is a life long journey. it is not a quick one stop shopping trip either.