How Does Literature Aid In Being A Veterinary Technician?

Wow. I usually get this question from 11th graders but I can answer it in relation to anyone.  Literature has been a part of human culture before there was the written word -- although ancients did not read, every culture has its own form of a griot or minstrel to deliver stories about the culture, history, and heroes of its history.  Today, this condition continues with first parents, and then teachers, reading aloud to their charges.  Plays are put-on and enjoyed by people of all ages and to be an actor or actress is a much-cherished dream held by many generations.

As for reading written works, they provide the reader with a connection to her own culture and history and that of others.  It helps us DEVELOP empathy (empathy is not a "given" in most humans--it needs to be nurtured and grown) for all living things -- like (or especially) unlike us.  It allows us to appreciate a work that is well-structured, well-written, well-crafted.  It is not an overstatement to say that the reading of literature (not just books) feeds our souls, just like listening to a great piece of music or studying a piece of fine art.

Some literature that may feel more relevant to your chosen line of work might include titles such as Watership Down, Dr. Doolittle titles (some parts are dated but the newer versions have been revised), anything by James Herriott (a country vet) such as All Creatures Great and Small, Where the Red Fern Grows (this novel made my 6th grade teacher cry in front of us and is still one of my favorites), Jack London, Rudyard Kipling.  See your local librarian for more recent titles (librarians rock!!!); undiscovered worlds await you.