Lessons learned in army life: Part 2
One of the first things that people will tell you when you enlist into your two year National Service is that "2 years will pass by very fast" of which, after translating from Singlish to English, means "2 years will pass by very quickly". Upon entering, you will find that it is anything but. More than 8 months have passed since that moment, and I find that it is indeed passing by very quickly, mostly because my brain has subconsciously managed to forget all the bad moments about the army such that I indeed remember very little and in turn interpret the past 8 months as "passing very fast". I sure hope that people do not take the same emotional feelings about being in the army as I do and thus feel the same way, or this country is truly doomed. I am hoping that many remember the good times, and in fact feel that it has passed by quickly because of the amusement that army brings to one's life, rather than my ability to just forget the negatives that has happened in my life, which I view army as. Else it would be hard to convince citizens to fight for a war out of patriotism when the time comes to it. However I digress.
What I want to talk about is the concept of time. Over my army period I have been looking at ways for time to pass by faster in camp, while being able to slow down time for the period that I am not in camp. I have done this by tuning out during army training sessions, and focus on enjoying the period that I am out of camp by making the most out of it; sleeping as little as possible and doing the things that I find most memorable. This has worked, but after a while the anxiety has worn off, and the trainings have become more lax as time passed, and very soon there was little difference between staying at home and staying at camp, something that I enjoy very much. However I find myself with another problem; time in camp slows down because there is little to do.
I am not complaining much about this, but this does get tiring when it comes to Guard Duties, where one has to stand in a certain area for 2 hours doing absolutely nothing. Of course, on paper, we are to 'keep watch', when in fact 'keeping watch' requires little of your time, and definitely does not require one to stand outdoors standing absolutely still. However easy it may sound, this is only one shift, and sometimes one has to spend twenty four hours doing 4 shifts, with nothing to do in between during your rest periods. Considering that this happens during your weekends, of which is not replaced with off days since this is counted as your 'army duties', time seems to go ever so slowly.
Time goes fast sometimes, time goes slow sometimes. As much as physics may tell you it is true; time is relative (of course, there is the idea that time is an illusion, of which people may not be wrong). But I realise that the idea that people think that 'time is running out' and that 'you don't have a lot of time to live' make people very miserable, because they wish to spend their time now making a future where they will be happy at the cost of their happiness in their time now. Instead of dealing with something theoretical, would it not be easier to just slow down, and enjoy the current moment which is guaranteed? Stop thinking about how much time you waste, or how much time is wasted with every moment that passes in the army, but think about just enjoying the time you have now. Think about your very being on this Earth and how you are interconnected with everything, in a world that is timeless despite you being temporary. And who knows? Maybe there will be a way for you to come back in another lifetime (if I follow the rules of reincarnation correctly). Take the chances that you have now, whatever they may be. During my time doing guard duties I am now taking small meditative exercises, just to have this feeling of being timeless in a city where everyone is rushing somewhere, only to realise that the happiness that they are chasing is within themselves (as cliche as it may sound). On another hand, time seems to go faster during meditation so maybe my guard duties won't be so bad after all.
Lesson no 2: Make the best of what you have at the current moment; sometimes it is better not to think about the future and how much time you are wasting, but it is better to just enjoy the time at this current moment feeling happy just being alive in a world of possibilities.
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
What I want to talk about is the concept of time. Over my army period I have been looking at ways for time to pass by faster in camp, while being able to slow down time for the period that I am not in camp. I have done this by tuning out during army training sessions, and focus on enjoying the period that I am out of camp by making the most out of it; sleeping as little as possible and doing the things that I find most memorable. This has worked, but after a while the anxiety has worn off, and the trainings have become more lax as time passed, and very soon there was little difference between staying at home and staying at camp, something that I enjoy very much. However I find myself with another problem; time in camp slows down because there is little to do.
I am not complaining much about this, but this does get tiring when it comes to Guard Duties, where one has to stand in a certain area for 2 hours doing absolutely nothing. Of course, on paper, we are to 'keep watch', when in fact 'keeping watch' requires little of your time, and definitely does not require one to stand outdoors standing absolutely still. However easy it may sound, this is only one shift, and sometimes one has to spend twenty four hours doing 4 shifts, with nothing to do in between during your rest periods. Considering that this happens during your weekends, of which is not replaced with off days since this is counted as your 'army duties', time seems to go ever so slowly.
Time goes fast sometimes, time goes slow sometimes. As much as physics may tell you it is true; time is relative (of course, there is the idea that time is an illusion, of which people may not be wrong). But I realise that the idea that people think that 'time is running out' and that 'you don't have a lot of time to live' make people very miserable, because they wish to spend their time now making a future where they will be happy at the cost of their happiness in their time now. Instead of dealing with something theoretical, would it not be easier to just slow down, and enjoy the current moment which is guaranteed? Stop thinking about how much time you waste, or how much time is wasted with every moment that passes in the army, but think about just enjoying the time you have now. Think about your very being on this Earth and how you are interconnected with everything, in a world that is timeless despite you being temporary. And who knows? Maybe there will be a way for you to come back in another lifetime (if I follow the rules of reincarnation correctly). Take the chances that you have now, whatever they may be. During my time doing guard duties I am now taking small meditative exercises, just to have this feeling of being timeless in a city where everyone is rushing somewhere, only to realise that the happiness that they are chasing is within themselves (as cliche as it may sound). On another hand, time seems to go faster during meditation so maybe my guard duties won't be so bad after all.
Lesson no 2: Make the best of what you have at the current moment; sometimes it is better not to think about the future and how much time you are wasting, but it is better to just enjoy the time at this current moment feeling happy just being alive in a world of possibilities.
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
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