You know the phrase “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” A proverb, been floating around for a couple of hundred years. Who knows where it actually originated from. Maybe was even some kid trying to explain to Mom why the chores aren’t done. Doesn’t really matter.
I wonder, has anyone ever asked if maybe Jack was just a dull boy to start with?
Residency has a sort of monotony to it. My friends all periodically move, or change jobs, or have another kid. Something new, and I’m still here, just working. Makes my life dull in all appearances. But on top of that, God granted me a rather dull personality to begin with. I learned years ago that it is best to be friends with funny people. Then all I have to do is laugh and we get along great. And I love laughing, so makes it easy for everyone.
That’s not to say I never make a joke. Why just the other day I tried my hand at it. Granted the Attending took me seriously and then I had to backpedal pretty hard to reassure him that I had, in fact, only been joking. Fail #1. And then later that day when I was recounting the interaction to my team in hopes of maybe getting a secondhand laugh at least, my chief, who is the Ukrainian soldier amongst our crew, without looking at me simply responded, “Don’t joke.” Fail #2.
On the other hand...
I once had one of my medical students look at me and say, “You know... if someone called you and said “The world is ending!!! You’d calmly respond, “okay, meet me in 5 minutes, and we’ll discuss.”
There’s many different personalities in this world. And with a little bit of faith it’s easy to see just how well orquestrated it can be. We can use our different strengths to work together. I must concede, and let others make the jokes. After all, they need people to laugh at the joke, same as I need someone to make the joke. We all have our roles.
In the end, I know there’s no hope in challenging a proverb that hundreds of years old. But, what’s wrong with Jack being dull?
Much Love.
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