Identity

I was think about this on the way home.
(Cause i was bored, alone and had nothing to do.)
In light of the recent spike in gang related violence lately,
i was pondering upon the cause of it (trying to tackle crime, like a policeman should).
So i went down to the root of it, and i arrived at this question.
Why would teenagers want to join gangs(in the first place)?

In my opinion, IDENTITY was the answer.
I felt that what teenagers crave for these days was a sense of identity.
In today's context, we are lost in a rapid changing urban jungle.
There are new trends, new products, new information popping up everyday, and we are all trying to keep up with these changes.
Those who fall behind or are unable to keep up eventually gets displaced and are "lost".
And what happens if one is lost?
One tries to find a path.

In addition, everyone is also racing with time to keep up with the endless task they have in hand, nobody pays attention to anyone anymore.
Herein lies a problem, how can a human being(not to mention a teenager) survive without anyone showing some care and concern for them?
The social element in life is missing?
Where is the human touch?
Thus, when one doesn't receive sufficient attention from their parents and peers, they go in search for it.

Then, we have this issue of conformity.
What schools, parents and the society expects of a teenager.
Most teens would respond to this by simply abiding to these "rules", but there are always the lot who can't fit in.
To be honest, what actually does the society expect of a teenager in s'pore?
To be obedient, stay in school, study hard and not to cause trouble.
Basically, a teenager = a student, nothing more.
Am i right? 
But what happens to those who just don't want to, or can't be a student?
They would have to find themselves a new occupation.

Considering these factors, we converge towards a common path.
The search for an identity.
As we trot along this path, we come along this tempting destination.
The outlaws, the underworld, the "deviant's heaven".
Where the "lost souls" seek refuge.
Ok, this was an unintended pun.
Nonetheless, so these "lost" teens seek refuge in each others' company and eventually join gangs.
This is where most people would say, they went astray.

Because their new found "family" showers them with more warmth and understanding than their parents or peers would, they find new allegiance with the gangs.
They are willing to offer their services for the sense of belonging they got.
And, gangsterism entails.

I am not saying that i am an expert at this, but this is just my point of view(i was pondering on my way home remember?).
Ok, the following might appear to be "no link" to some but this was just where my pondering led me.
So i was thinking, i had my experience of "searching" too.
That was essentially why i repeated jc 2.
My first 2 years in jc was spent searching for who i was, and what i wanted to be.
This might sound ridiculous, but there was a point in time i actually thought i could be a football star.
Ok, stop laughing.
Whether i had found my answer or not, that is not the point here.
Cause i resigned and when ahead to err on the safe path, conform to what the society expects of me.
And that bought me a place in university.

Still, this wasn't the point.
Now, lets go back to identity.
I was thinking about how people were searching of an identity, and wow,
I felt so fortunate.
Who am i?
I am an OCT, a cadet, part of the 52th Batch!

We just went through OBS together,
we went through the past 7 months together
people might dismiss the experience we had,
people might think little or belittle the training we have undergone,
people might feel underwhelmed by the storm and currents we survived,
but we knew what it felt like.
And that is what is important.
What we survived through only brought us closer together, for only we understood what we went through.
This was what glues us together.

I am proud to be an SPF OCT of the 52th batch.
I am honoured to be one of us.
Senior officers to be.
Ocs, i yearn no more.
I am proud of my heritage,
bmt to oct,
saf to spf.

I am a cadet, so are my friends.
And we are all going to be,
NSPI!

On the flip side,
if what is relevant stays together,
and what is irrelevant gets forgotten or is discarded,
(as shown)
then, wouldn't it be dreadful?
Nonetheless, be optimistic as some stuff are made to endure the test of time.

Live in the moment,
be happy =),
I am.
Scott signs off.