The Importance of Playing Dead!

"I played dead to stay alive".....was the headline that greeted me yesterday in the New Paper. The Indonesian maid, Ms. Susanti, had the presence of mind to pretend to die when her employer's husband checked on her and even kicked her. Despite the excruciating pain from her hammered head and loss of 5 teeth, she held her breath! What a courageous and remarkable lady! She could have just fled for her life, but she cared for her mistress and daughter, and pleaded with the deranged man not to harm his family. Angered by her pleas, the man hammered her head and dragged her into the toilet, thinking she had died. Thank God, her life was preserved despite the harrowing ordeal.

The above incident made me recall another survivor who played dead when a deranged man shot 35 people he found in Port Arthur in Tasmania. Ironically I was in the same place at the same time and same date....except that it was a year earlier! I had gone to Tasmania with a neighbour as she wanted me to give her moral support as hers was a match made marriage. When the woman saw the shooting she quickly collapsed and pretended to be dead. Like Ms. Susanti, that quick presence of mind saved her life.

Still on the subject of playing dead, I want to share another page of history with my readers. During the May 13th riot in 1965, the sole survivor in a bus full of massacred bodies shared how a group of parang wielding attackers stopped a bus in Kuala Lumpur, and killed all the passengers in the bus. He was seated at the back of the bus and had the presence of mind to collapse on the floor and pretended to die.! The attackers missed him.! What a narrow escape.!

I was once in Ericsson Pet Farm in Pasir Ris. I met an owner with his pet Rottweiler, Alex. As the owner was amiable, I asked if I could pet his dog. Alex was a friendly giant. The owner asked me if I would like to see a trick by Alex. "Sure, I'll be just delighted", I beamed.

"Play dead, Alex! Play dead!"

To my surprise and amusement, Alex suddenly fell on his body and remained very still as if he were dead. His owner asked me to put my hand near his nose. By golly, Alex was not even breathing! What a cute and clever dog! I laughed.

Maybe all of us should practise playing dead. We never know when we have to use this art of pretending to die. It also means learning to hold our breath should the murderer come near us and put his hand near our nostrils!

Before anyone thinks I am being too dramatic, and one may never, touch wood, have to ever practise playing dead, there is also a benefit from this exercise of holding our breath. It will improve our swimming skills.! As for me, it means being able to hold my breath longer in places that stink eg. public toilets and wet markets.

Gan Chau