Well done, You! I am certain that you are a dedicated veterinarian, and, I know A Country Practice wasn't real, but I remember the character of Dr. Terence Elliot, who was played by Shane Porteous, was actually an artist and cartoonist in real life, and that was reflected in his character. I think that every medical person, where they can, needs an escape from medicine, and that could be, as in the case of a real doctor, being a physician, a gym instructor and a dancer and dance teacher. Or, it could be a doctor who works four days a week and writes or does art or has a vineyard or hobby farm to retreat to.

What I would say to the ridiculous doctor who claims that men and women can't be platonic friends, who claims that the negative of writing is that he can only do it part-time and can't catch up with his friends as much as he'd like to is this, "You're a doctor AND a writer. You need the right temperament to be a writer and it can be a solitary experience. As a doctor, you want to care for and help your patients. As a writer, you want to reach your audience and some of those who read your work may be your friends."

So, look at this as being a new opportunity to open up another part of yourself. And let's not forget, there are also plenty of doctors who'd like to settle down in the evening with a drink and a good book, after dinner.