A Plumber and a Counsellor

Phew! After submitting 10 short essays and 2 long essays, can take a breather at least until next module. So I shall engage in silly banters.

Last Saturday my kitchen floor was flooded. The pipe and the floor trap are choked with hardened fat from the kitchen sink. Even my very very DIY husband admitted defeat and summoned NTUC Plumber (gosh this NTUC should aim for best butler status!). A guy came in less than 45 minutes, carried out a less than half hour job and charged $85. If you count by the hour, he actually earns $170 an hour including $20 bucks he has to pay NTUC.

My school counsellor told me some schools are starting to engage part time qualified counsellors at $50 an hour. I thought "hmmm...not so bad" until I know what a plumber charges.

Of course the guy has to put up with all the grime, especially with every pull of the pump the grime and the filth gushes out at his feet. But so has the counsellor to put up with all the clogged material in the minds of the client too. See it all boils down to clearing the mind of misconceived notions and beliefs isn't it. At least for the plumber, the grime "gushes out". The plumber's feet may be dirtied but he can wash the dirt immediately (which he did in my backyard and my husband had to wash the backyard hahaha). His job is done in a jiff and he gets customer satisfaction instantly because I gave him a big smile of relief and happily parted with $85. In the case of counsellors however, they don't immediately wash the "clog" off their minds the minute the client walks out. They muse and reflect and think about the best intervention for the next appointment (at least for novices and those green on the job). Cases may draw on for several sessions whilst you look out for small progress (just like watching the water in your flooded kitchen ebbing ever so slowly). As one experienced counsellor/ writer puts it “Thus I may advise, argue, badger, cajole, goad, implore, or simply endure, hoping that the patient’s neurotic world view will crumble away from sheer fatigue". And the client doesn't give you a big smile of relief at the end of each session. Most times, they give you a faint smile at most especially after an emotional session.

So if you think of quitting your job or switching career, dont omit plumber whilst considering your alternatives.