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Perks at a cost?


Heard an interview with Malaysia's premier cartoonist, Lat, recently. I was fascinated with the part of the interview when he was doing a cartoon strip in a national daily many years ago. He was doing a strip which ran daily on weekdays, and it was a continuing story. One Friday, he was stuck. He did not know how to continue with his narration, and he had until Sunday evening to submit his work.

He had a kind of writer's block, not knowing how to proceed. Rather than staring blankly at his wall, he thought a little unwinding would help. Downing one or two of his favourite beverages and whipping up a conversation with a couple of his occasional acquaintances, it suddenly dawned upon him. Inspiration sprang from everywhere, and he went on to complete his story to become everybody's satirist.

That is what my friends in the creative field tell me. Whenever they hit a brick wall, ideas come sprawling down when they go out and mingle with people. It seems people-gazing or just talking to them may stimulate the grey cells of the creative hemisphere of your brain to produce your next masterpiece.

Wait. Barristers are not called to the bar for nothing. The Bar is where they eel their way to find or create clients. A few drinks would make one philosophical and ponder about old age. Your friendly insurance agents will always hang around the bar to cook up a plan and pave the way for an affordable retirement plan!

Not so smooth sailing for the self-sacrificing practitioners of the profession of health.
You go to the house of ruins to unwind or you faithfully fulfil your duties as a son to attend some old auntie's grandchild's fifth birthday party and what you get? While you land your bite on your spicy pakora, an old uncle will start describing to you in minute details his abnormal bowel opening and his eternal struggle with haemorrhoids. Just as you politely ease your way by concocting a tale that somebody is calling you, another Auntie catches to illustrate in near demonstrative ways her distress with urinary incontinence. That is when you gaze your golden juice and wonder if you would ever look at fermented hop in the same way ever again. So much for a stimulating conversation and the unwinding needed for a soul exhausted caring for the sick.

To the people who recognise you, they would always see you as the man with the stethoscope, even if you are down to your swimming trunk. That is why many choose to remain incognito under the disguise of anonymity when travelling or appearing in social media interphases! To give peace of mind a chance to the soul...
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