There is the joke about a doctor who meets a lawyer at a party. He tells the lawyer that people ask him for medical advice for various problems at social gatherings and asks the lawyer if he (the doctor) could send them a bill for consultation. The lawyer answers in the affirmative, saying that a consultation is a consultation, whether they come to his (the doctor’s) surgery or outside it. The next day, the doctor receives a bill from the lawyer. The doctor is confused and calls up the lawyer: “what is this bill you sent me for?” he asks. “That is for the advice I gave you yesterday at the party,” says the lawyer.
This is a hazard attached to many professionals I am sure, other than doctors and lawyers. Maybe Amitabh Bachchan is buttonholed and asked for acting tips. I wonder what advice he can provide to them within the span of a few minutes. Maybe Sachin Tendulkar is asked for batting tips at social dos. I wonder if he resents it or welcomes it. Is there any other way to improve one’s batting than “practice, practice, and practice!’ Will people who look for a short cut to glory (and a position in the Indian Eleven) take that advice seriously?
For my part, as an English teacher, I get annoyed when people tell me: “Sir, my grammar (or vocabulary) is very week, please help me improve.” I teach English for a living, I don’t want to have anything to do with teaching English in my free time. Even if I do, as I tell my wannabe students, I need a class of at least 10, to get the inspiration to teach. And I want them to work on their English in their free time! Moreover, English cannot be taught over a cup of coffee or at the water cooler. I have mastered the language over two decades, studiously reading good literature and inculcating in my writing the good practices.
On the other hand, there are one breed of professionals who I think will be very happy to provide and exchange tips and tricks: software developers. They love to talk shop, and get into discussion of multiple threads and memory stacks at the drop of a hat. I am sure investment bankers too would love to share their business savvy with people – of course with a view to pushing stocks in which they have a vested interest, and by way of attracting customers to their bank or financial institution.
Jackie Coogan, the Kid
Today in history, in 1914, Jackie Coogan was born. He was the first child artist to act in a full-length movie, “The Kid”, along with Charlie Chaplin. The Kid is one of the most poignant movies, with Chaplin’s characteristic, sardonic humor. The Kid is notable as being the first feature length comedy film to combine comedy and drama, as one of the opening titles says: "A picture with a smile, and perhaps a tear..."
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