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ALTER EGO |
Being Happy Lawyers During
breakfast in a café one Saturday morning, I overheard someone commenting on
how quickly we have reached the mid point of the year. ‘Soon, it will be Christmas,’
the elderly man said. I had stopped thinking about the rapid passage of time
until recently. The
Law Society is 40 this year. I, one year older than the Society, have for
some reason, become very conscious about growing old and about my future.
Perhaps, it is the frequent reminder of turning 40 when I sit in the meetings
of the Publications Committee, which I am a member of, and discuss the 40th
anniversary Law Gazette commemorative issue that we are working on. Men are supposed to have a mid-life
crisis when they hit 40. I experienced it in my early 30s. Watching my parents
growing older, I began to ask myself what life has in store for me. The probing
question I am facing now is whether I am going to die practising law. Another
30 or more years of practising law does not seem attractive anymore. It seems
more like a life sentence, spending all that time in the waiting area of the
Family Court, being continuously exposed to the marital woes of my clients,
the persistent chasers of clients over the telephone and e-mail, and finishing
an endless pile of work. I recall reading in a magazine
that it is possible for a person to have three different careers in one lifetime.
That would mean that I can have at least one more stab at another career.
Perhaps, it really is time to embark on that writing career that I have been
thinking about for the longest time. The ever sensible and practical wife
said that I could do freelance writing whilst practising law. I stared at
her in disbelief. If I do not do what I love to
do now, when will I ever do it? I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been
in this quandary. There are many lawyers who have just gone out and done that.
However, there are also others who did not for good reasons. Are these lawyers
who stay in the profession happy? It was at this point that I picked
up the June issue of the Law
Gazette and saw the question – Are lawyers happy?
- staring at me on the President’s Message page. Philip gave a positive response.
I totally agree with him on the reasons for staying
in law. For those who do not chase their
dreams, is the practice of law just a job? Are these lawyers trudging on unhappily?
Having spoken to my friends and hearing the talk in the waiting areas of the
courts and in the Bar Rooms, the stress derived from practice seems to outweigh
the happiness of being a lawyer. What is the impact of unhappy
lawyers on the legal profession, their clients and the pursuit of justice?
A sense of apathy may continue to prevail. Wouldn’t happy lawyers make a more
significant contribution to the legal profession? The answer must surely be
a resounding yes. So, how do we become happy lawyers? When clients become reasonable
and accommodating? When we become paid as much as real estate agents? When
we do not have to put in long hours at work? When we have enough time for
family, friends and hobbies? When we do not need to carry blackberries and
mobiles or check e-mails after office hours and during vacations? All wishful thinking, you might
say. There are no simple and straightforward solutions. One day, while I was slumping
in fatigue in the Subordinate Courts Bar Room, fellow lawyer Mark Goh, who
was sitting next to me, remarked that I should find something outside of law
to motivate me. He went on to share about his cycling trips on Sundays and
the camaraderie he enjoys with
fellow cyclists. Yes, we each have to find our
own potion for happiness. This can be the upcoming weekend, the next holiday,
golf game, football match, mahjong session, makan expedition or shopping.
Yes, whatever makes us happy. Maybe not thinking too much about one’s state
of unhappiness may even help. I just cannot think of anything
that would make me excited anymore. I don’t think I’m just suffering from
mid-year fatigue. It’s the ‘I-am-bored’ syndrome that I suffer so regularly
from whenever I wonder whether I should be doing something different with
my life. Other options I’ve toyed with have been to find a new home in places
that I love - Melbourne or Thailand or idyllic towns such as St David’s in
Wales with its out-of-the-world chapel, St Non’s or even nearby Malacca. For me, the best remedy would
be to have private uninterrupted time to myself. I know that always works.
Long sleep-ins on weekends, lazing at home, sitting at Starbucks and watching
the world go by, watching Travel and Living and the StarWorld channel on cable
TV is the antidote which will make me a happy lawyer. For now, at least. Rajan
Chettiar Rajan
Chettiar & Co E-mail:
rajan@rajanchettiar.com Postscript: For those who are
wondering why I do not put an end to my incessant whining and just go and
live my dream, honestly, I do not think that a writing career, or any other
career for that matter, is the cure for my disquiet. And for some inexplicable
reason, I feel that I will miss law practice after
a while.