Assuming

You've heard the jokes about don't assume because it makes an ass out of you and me.  (I first heard that while watching The Bad News Bears....how's that for old?!)  But let's face it.  We all make assumptions all the time.  You have to.  Can you imagine checking and double checking everything all day?  You assume that your car is where you left it.  You don't go out and check every once in a while to verify that it is still there.  We assume that our key still works in the front door of our house.  We don't check it before we leave to make certain that we can get back in the house at the end of the day.  I wake up assuming that the laws of gravity still operate.  I don't throw a pillow on the floor just to make sure that it falls rather than floats.

We assume, and we really do have to.

But sometimes our assumptions can cause unintentional problems.  Thus all the "ass-u-me" jokes.

In my job we emphasize communication.  It's very important to communicate well, considering the kinds of questions we are required to answer.  And one of the things they teach us is to state all of our assumptions.  So if you called to ask me a tax question and didn't specifically say that you were talking about your 2010 taxes, I would have to tell you that I am making that assumption.  And that I assume you are talking about your personal, rather than your business, tax return.  Seems silly, right?  But laws change, and the rules for personal and business returns are different.  So those assumptions can be a big deal.

Yesterday I spoke to a young lady with a question.  I stated my assumptions and it startled her to hear such, to her, obvious statements being made.  And she asked me why I was doing what I was doing.  Once I explained she said, "Oh, what a great idea!  Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone had to do that?"

I don't know if she was simply referring to customer service-type situations, or about people in general, but I have to agree that it would be wonderful if we all stated our assumptions up front.  When I tell you my assumptions about your taxes you can either agree with me, and we move on, or you correct me, and I adjust my way of thinking, and we move on.

Imagine if that is how all of our conversations proceeded.  No more false assumptions based on clothes, hair styles, method of transportation, the people we associate with, our jobs, our houses, our cars, our mothers, out housekeeping, our diets, and on and on.  If we had the courage to state our assumptions, no, if we knew that, like my job, it was a requirement to state all assumptions, we would be more cautious about the assumptions we make.  Imagine not assuming that woman on the bus with twenty eleven packages and four layers of outdoor clothing on is a homeless person (maybe she has no other way to travel but by bus, and can only make one trip to the store a month and it is February after all).  Or not assuming that the man with slurred speech is drunk (did you know that a number of medications can cause slurred speech, and stroke victims may also find that their speech is no longer clear?)  If we didn't assume all "fringe" people were radicals, or that our way of living is the only acceptable way to live, or that there is only one right way to hold a pencil.....

I could go on and on.

But I would challenge you today to examine your assumptions.  Think about what you are assuming as you come across various people, even your family.  Ask yourself if those assumptions are valid.  Maybe even state an assumption or two and prepare to be amazed.

I assume you can do it.

And I assume that you will!


And in case you like the tshirt.....To Save Time Lets Just Assume I'm Never Wrong Women's Tee Shirt  Medium-Light Blue Babydoll (petite fit); Let's Assume I'm Never Wrong Magentic Mini Tin