we all have this birds eye view of rescue..seen from our own perspective, defined by our own experiences and we can be myopic to much of big picture in rescue.
over the years I have spoken about the multi-layers, the ripples in the ponds, the nitty gritty details...from keeping grass growing for grazing animals because grazing animals are born to graze to the intricacies of rescue politics and how they affect the animals in rescue's care, to following the tangled threads of animals stories that are so entwined in messed up human needs. knee jerk reactions, mob mentalities, harsh and unforgiving judgements against a backdrop of loving and caring deeply for animals and trying to meet their needs. there are liabilities, insurance policies, and bylaws...CRA, WCB, ICBC accounting/audits, mission statements, mandates, policies and procedures, staff, volunteer, supporter, donor, adopter, surrender'er expectations to meet. and there are bills to pay..medical, maintenance, supplies, hydro, water, cell phone, internet..the list goes on and on.
I have spoken about needing eyes facing forward, eyes looking back, eyes peeking sideways and eyes in the back of our sometimes aching heads. I have spoken about anticipation of problems and pre-planning to avoid them if we can and problem solving effectively the issues that do present themselves without adding in paranoia or mentally or emotionally going around the bend.
to really do rescue requires the willingness to stretch ourselves beyond our limits, to expand our borders past ourselves and view rescue as an entire connected world where one thing can positively or negatively affect another, where ABCG and Z are interconnected, where roots stretch far and wide on a healthy and vibrant rescue tree and how each of us together in various roles are responsible for the whole bundle of rescue's everythings.
yes it is most importantly about the animals, individually and communally but in order for them to be safe, secure, well cared for.... the big picture requires focusing on an incredible amount of other big and small things.
we make mistakes but we learn and grow and grow and grow until it all got so much bigger than we thought it would way back when. and one day all to soon we see our 60th birthday approaching and we think, holy shit...where did all that time go?
its time to download the stuff that has taken up residence inside my jumbled up head...
holy crap batman..i shouldn't have peeked inside there tonight...
the enormity of it all....its like I am a rescue mind hoarder.
now I have to sort it, organize it, toss out the crap and pass on the good stuff so it can be useful and recycled again.
so here is the first installment in a very concise nutshell...
pay attention to the big picture (and all of it's tiny pieces!)
I think you need to buy a Corvette.