I remember looking back early this year, suddenly realising that one year had passed by in a flash. It must have been helped by my transition to the Navy, such that the monotony that many may feel being stuck in the Army the whole time isn't applicable here. The phases had been clean cut. Passing out from Tekong, then doing a long five month stint in the Institute of Maritime Operations and Systems (IMOS) and finally coming to ship. 

One thing that was similar to all of them though, was that I tried my hand at designing things in every phase. I submitted a tee design for Whiskey platoon.(that was ultimately rejected in favor of one that had an exploded diagram of a SAR-21. I did feel it had nothing to do with the platoon's identity though) In IMOS, I designed a Racial Harmony Day poster for a small competition, and did up a poster for the Bedok House Cohesion, which was coordinated by another trainee in a more interesting way than most NSF cohesions are. Finally, I've done quite a few pieces for ship so far.

My point is that I've tried to make use of what NS has given me, like in this case an opportunity to practice my design work. I've been feeling of late that many don't give two hoots about trying to do so. They lament how the government is wasting two years of their lives, how it disadvantages them to foreigners and such. 

This thing is, the government isn't wasting our time. It sure did take two years away, but how we spend that time is all up to us. We're the only ones capable of wasting our own time here, by keng-ing. By not recognising what we can do with our time in camp, and not just out of camp. By generally resigning oneself to a deadbeat routine of doing nothing.

I'm not talking about studying while in NS, either, or getting that driver's license. That's good, but it's only making use of 'time' in NS. It's also about how you use the organisation to further yourself. (Properly, of course) The way I see it, there are two main ways to 'succeed' in life in terms of work. Either one makes it high up in a big firm, or one is the boss of his own firm, and I feel the former is more plausible than the latter. 

What two years of NS gives you is the opportunity to see how a big organisation functions. Like how red tape is found in many places, and how it might be possible to overcome or sidestep it. It gives you, from being a sai gang warrior to chiongsua footman to chummy officer's clerk, an opportunity to hone your skills. It could be designing things, organising outside events, people relations, playing instruments, photography, sports, writing that you could be tasked to do or volunteer for, that could let you go further in the future. 

Yet many don't. They slack away their time and wait for the weekend, not bothering to do their job well, much less do more. 

The worst are those who don't do much, who do less than they should, and put down others who are doing more. Like many youth who vote for the opposition, they might find it disdainful to adhere to the system, to carry out your NS obligations properly. It's a childish thing, I know, but I hope they don't get anywhere in life. 

I've been contemplating whether or not to bring this whole topic up if I'm asked to speak a few words when I'm handed my ORD plaque in front of the ship's company. I'm not sure if I'll just be wasting my breath, but I feel that many juniors on ship aren't pulling any weight, they're bringing down the culture of the ship and it just sucks to know that. 

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