Boxers and Briefs

As weird as this may seem, I'm going to use boxers and briefs to describe my NS experience.

Ever since I discovered boxers back when I was still in Secondary 3, I never went back to briefs. The comfort it provided was unparalleled, and it felt more mature, in a way. Imagine the shock I felt when I was told I couldn't wear boxers in NS. I promptly bought a box of Byfords, and since my confinement began on December 11, I've worn nothing but briefs, and briefs, and briefs. And briefs.

So yesterday, my confinement period of 14 days finally came to an end, and I went home for the first time. After showering, I put on a pair of boxers, and thought myself blissful.

But it wasn't comfortable. It was weird, awkward, awkweird. The sudden lack of constraints and support and structure and rigidity was so disconcerting. I'm not saying that I didn't like it, but man, it was so strange to go back to boxers once more.

So yes, going into NS is like switching from boxers to briefs, and booking out is the other way around. NS was fine, I guess. I made plenty of new friends, and my section mates are cool, and so are the people in my platoon. The sergeants are tough most of the time, but I shouldn't have expected anything less. It felt like I was getting into the swing of things...and then I'm out again, and I can't help but feel down that I'm going to go back to NS/briefs once more.

We come from a company
Famous in BMT
We come from a very special company

We fight for our glory
We fight for our victory
We fight with a spirit never seen before

Raven 3!
Raven 3!
All the way!

We like it here!
We like it here!
We found ourselves a home!
A home!
A home sweet home!

NS

Haha. Yeah, well, shit.

I'll miss you guys. Everyone. I've always been someone who tried to take control, who walked to his own rhythm, who never listened to anyone else, and as such, I'm taking the idea of conscription really hard. For once, I've no handle on where my life goes. It feels like I'll be left behind by a world which never stops for the individual.

The thing is, everyone will grow, everyone will change. And...I won't be there to witness it, nor be a part of it, and it feels like...I don't have my hand in places it was before. The strings of the self-styled puppet master have been cut, and shipped off to an island called Tekong. Ok, perhaps that was a negative metaphor, but you get the idea. It's just sad for me that I won't be part of your lives for so long, now.

I'll see you soon, I'll miss you now.