I'll tell them.
I was at Temasek Polytechnic earlier on as part of some SAF shit. I was sent to sit through their school performance, which was admittedly weird (there was a solo Chinese opera consisting of Justice Bao and Justice Bao alone, and an Indian dance of a single male Chinese dancer). It wasn't that bad, but it set me thinking:
Happy National Day?
I'm facing this year's national day with some seriously mixed feelings, what with that draconic punishment and all. I'm thinking that having faced that, nothing can eclipse my NS life, and everything will be overshadowed by that.
I understand that the nation may not have had that in mind when they made NS mandatory, but the fact remains that I got raped by a system that the nation devised.
I'm jealous of the kids on our left throughout the concert/performance. They were happy and excited throughout the performance and they sang along and were so sweetly innocent. I like that about them. I like how trusting they are. I'm jealous of their naivety and the hesitance people will feel before they even think about harming them, because who can bring themselves to hurt someone that bears no harm at all?
If I had the chance to, I'd like to talk to the kids. I'll tell them the family friendly version. I'll tell them that NS is actually fun, that we do feel like we're protecting the nation and all that, and that we know we're contributing towards the security of the nation. I'll tell them that when they grow up they should be strong enough to protect their families too, and that NS is not a liability, but a responsibility. I'll tell them to love and enjoy their service towards the nation, and that it'd contribute to their character building. I'll tell them to treasure their relations with their superiors, and their friends, because these are possibly the strongest bonds one can ever forge outside of family. I'll tell them all these because it's what's expected of me as a soldier. It's the image of the SAF. It's what the nation would want. I'll tell them all these, not because I love NS, but because I hope they can achieve and enjoy what I can never.
Because I'm vengeful and regretfully so.
-- 8/09/2012 12:09:00 AM
