Although ‘Joy, Challenges and Hopes – My Life Journey’ is a personal journey and the trials and tribulations the author experienced in life, clearly, this book goes further for those who care to read past the first chapter.
Dr. Kannan’s autobiography is an invitation to join him as he takes the reader on a journey through a time tunnel with stops at different phases of his life. As he had lived through a colorful period in the history of multi-cultural, multi-religious Malaysia, the reader cannot help but ask if this is a history book. In a way, it is, but with a twist – instead of laboring through a boring history book, it is an interesting storybook, sprinkled with enough anecdotes and peppered with Kannan’s unique sense of humor to make one want to finish reading his book.
‘Joy, Challenges and Hopes – My Life Journey’ initially gives one the impression that it’s another one of those books with a ‘Life is never easy’ theme, but clearly, Kannan’s book succeeds in making the reader realize that one’s life is shaped not by one’s DNA and background alone but also one’s upbringing, education, filial piety, family bond, circle of friends, faith in God and attitude in life.
Kannan has a photographic memory and an easy-going way of writing. For those who lived through his era, the book jogs one’s memory of how simple life was then, growing up in Muar, a typical small township with all its varied and interesting local characters. He writes too about the people who shaped his life from the beginning – his strict disciplinarian father, a humble accounts clerk turned politician who remained unfazed by the high political office, his selflessly devoted mother whose deep faith in Hinduism did not stop her from praying in Buddhist temples regularly, his dear soulmate, Anjali, a deeply religious, faithful and highly organized personality whose life and love was totally devoted to him, Sunthari – his adorable sister with a mind of her own whom he secretly admired, his best friends, teachers, neighbors, sundry shopkeepers, and others including even the local! What makes the book interesting is each of these characters is not merely mentioned in passing but comes with their own anecdotes which left marks, some deep, in Dr. Kannan’s life.
A big part of ‘Joy, Challenges and Hopes – My Life Journey’ is about Dr. Kannan’s life as a medical student and doctor. Although the stereotypical view of a medical student and practitioner is that of a nerd, Dr. Kannan succeeds in changing this. It need not be boring. In fact, it is probably the most interesting and joyful part of his life. Long hours of hard work and lack of sleep were not an excuse for not having fun and being up to naughty mischief! I can assure the reader, no holds barred here.
Teachers shape most of our lives. Dr. Kannan pays homage to many of them in his chapter on ‘Memorable Teachers’. Prof TJ Danaraj, teacher extraordinaire, was a giant of his time and for all times, must have left a very indelible mark on the author’s life. By Dr. Kannan’s own admission, he was a huge source of inspiration in his life. A whole chapter is dedicated to him.
At the heart of his book lie the stimulus and inertia that led Dr. Kannan to sit down and put pen to paper for this book – his battle and ultimate triumph with cancer and Covid and what it felt like being at the receiving end for once. He cheated death more than once. He is convinced while doctors do their work, half the battle is won if one holds on to one’s faith and is surrounded by the love and care of family and friends, making the impossible possible.
An important message Dr. Kannan tries to get across repeatedly is that life-changing events are lessons. Failures and misfortunes should be turned into lessons of life and we keep learning our lessons until we learn them well. As if to emphasize that his problems are not isolated, he dedicated a chapter of his book to the writings of his close friends with their own life-changing stories. An interesting and humbling interlude.
All good doctors spend their lives solving the problems of others, healing, reassuring, instilling confidence, and giving hope to patients and their families. However, as humans, they are not spared of the very problems they spend their lifetime helping others overcome. When the tide turns, although the final outcome is God’s doing, the quality of one’s life, fighting the battle, is determined by one’s character, attitude, family and friends’ support, and strong faith in God. This is at the core of ‘Joy, Challenges and Hopes – My Life Journey'.
As we age, we think we should do less and are unlikely to discover new interests, new activities, and new joys in life. Dr. Kannan begs to differ. After going through life-changing and life-threatening experiences, he realized there was more to life than medicine and work. He wanted so much to make his soulmate Anjali happier, to make up for the lost time, and to spend more time with his grown-up children. He realized the need for a more balanced life. He went about this with gusto. He rekindled an old passion, writing, and gardening. He spent mornings cycling on a tandem bike with Anjali, visiting lesser-known gardens (and documenting them) often ending up in a chat over a simple breakfast at a roadside stall. He discovered his passion too for photography and traveling.
What an appropriate title ‘Joy, Challenges and Hopes – My Life Journey’. There is so much to learn from Dr. Kannan’s life. Clearly, the message for the reader is ‘It’s time to take one step back and reconsider one’s priorities in life’. Be kinder to yourself and your loved ones while you still can.
Despite his battles in life, Kannan ended his book with ‘I could not have asked for more’, a hint, I suspect, to his readers to always be grateful no matter what life throws at you, a very appropriate take-home message indeed.
By:
Datuk Dr. Zainal Hamid,
Consultant Cardiologist & Gp Medical Director,
Twin Towers Medical Clinic, KLCC
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