Moving On

Life in St. John is like night and day, always changing....

These are the immortal words of Arthur Nicholas, otherwise known as my elder brother. These words appeared on the final slide on the Powerpoint Presentation of the Secondary One CCA Orientation.

As I begin writing this post, I have just put up what is likely to be my very last Parade Notice as the Admin NCO (Secretary) of ACS (I) SJAB. All subsequent notices will be put up by my capable successor.

It is Tuesday night. On Friday, it will be SJAB Day. The day that all Year 4s have been waiting for. It is the benchmark of the end of our reign as the head of this magnificent UYO. Once this day is over, we are unofficially relieved of duty. It is during this day that I will lead the Corp as one of four contingent commanders, and give the command to halt after marching in. With the grace of our Almighty God, I know that the day will go without a hitch. It will be the fourth time I'm involved in SJAB Day, and my last. My first was as a member of the stationary contingent. Second and third as a member of the marching contingent. Now, my fourth is as a contingent commander.

The experience seems pretty surreal, as I look back at my years with SJAB. Really, the ups and downs as well as twists and turns have really left me at the edge of my seat. In Secondary 1, I was the usual Year 1, always known as "Arthur's brother". In Secondary 2, when Arthur was one of the only 3 Staff Sergeants, "Arthur's brother" became more widely used. At that time, I was still very quiet, doing just enough to ensure that I would never get punished, while not volunteering for anything either. It was during this time that two of the members of my year began showing plenty of initiative in volunteering as well. At the end of year 2, I was made a member of FAC. Year 3 came, and lo and behold, Zone Champions!! In June, I was ordained the post of Admin NCO in the committee, and slowly, "Arthur's brother" changed to "Johnathan". At the end of Year 3, I was made one of four Staff Sergeants. Year 4 came, and the strength of the committee was tested, as we sailed through choppy waters. The four captains of the ship argued at times, but eventually, the storm ceased. And so we arrive at where I am today, ready to leave this great ship after a journey across the vast ocean. My destination is arriving.

Looking back, I must say that St. John Ambulance Brigade has taught me a lot. I have learnt a vast array of First Aid Skills and Drill Commands, but those are only superficial compared to the life skills I have learnt. I learnt about being a leader through my experience with the Year 2s this year. Indeed, it has been eventful. Yes, we rubbed each other the wrong way when we first started. However, it was as if they decided to give me a second chance, and I decided to change my teaching methods. I have no idea what I did, but it worked. I think the Year 2s have learnt quite a lot from me, but I have learnt even more from them. I learnt that being a good leader is not synonymous to ruling with an iron fist. In actual fact, my style of leadership involved familiarity. It would be tough for me to train let's say, the Year 3s, since I am not familiar with teaching them. At the same time, I have learnt that a leader cannot always give chances. I do punish the Year 2s, but it is never for the purpose of causing pain. Instead, it is for the purpose of them remembering what they have done wrong. In my opinion, punishments that are aimed at causing pain only waste time, and cause cadets to remember the punishment but not the mistake. There's plenty more where that came from, but there would not be enough space to cover all.

Once St. John Day is over, all that is left for me will be the National First Aid Competition, then I'm done. No more. It is finished. I remember my predecessor for the position of Number 2 on the AA Team. When the competition was over, and the team was sixth, I saw that he was trying to look happy, but he was sad in actual fact. Of course, I do not know why he was sad, but I will probably be sporting the same look when the competition is over. Why? The answer is that St. John would have left my life the minute the competition ended. I hope to end on a high note, preferably with at top 3 position, or even finishing first, but still, it pains to know that something that has been a part of me for four years is going to end.

So now, as mentioned earlier, it is Tuesday night. Three more days. Three. Three more days before I pass the baton on for my successor to run on and keep the dream alive. I trust the Year 3s, and I know they will do a good job. They will run and never drop the baton, just as we Year 4s have done.

To my Year 2s, thank you for the wonderful time, and good luck carrying on with St. John. To my successor, I'm passing the baton on to you. Good luck with it, and don't drop it, which I know you won't. To all Year 3s, good luck with your reign. Enjoy it, for you will never know how much it means until you have to let go of it.

The game will never be over, because we're keeping the dream alive -- Keeping the Dream Alive by Freiheit

Thank you all the teachers-in-charge, especially Mr. Seah, who's been in charge for all four years that I have been in St. John. Thank you to all my seniors who have taught me and helped me along the way.

Indeed, many people in SJAB think that it is boring and a complete waste of time, but it is not. Trust me, because I know. It is definitely not a waste of time. At the same time, it is definitely not boring, because.................

Life in St. John is like night and day, always changing....

Another Turning Point

Disclaimer: I do not own the song Time of Your Life. It is owned by Greenday

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.

Indeed, just as I had nearly come to terms with losing, life delivered yet another twist of fate that led to a complete 180. It all came in a phone call from Fate.

"We're going for the Nationals."

It was just one simple line. This was exactly what I had hoped for months ago. I remember telling Icyfate that it was possible for the winning team to forfeit their position, thus giving us a clear route to the Nationals. Of course, at that time, it did not seem possible for such a thing to occur. Yet, for some unknown reason, it did.

This event brings back to mind my wish of winning the Nationals at the start of the year. I had high hopes for the team. Icyfate, best commander (9.5/10!!!!). Me, best CPR (I hope). JL, best solo First Aider and Timer. Fate, best ambulance call. We are an all-star team!!! We still lost the Zone Competition though, and I began to think that we would not have won the Nats even if we had made it past the zone stages.

Now, we are given a second chance. It is similar to a person who had had a close encounter with death, but was given a second chance to live. What should he do then? Obviously, make the most out of his life, considering the fact that he had been given a second chance that many others did not have the luxury of. Similarly, the team was given a second chance. We had lost, but are now going to represent the Zone as champions. Losers given a second chance to compete as winners again. So what else should we do but make the most out of it and train hard to be National champions for once!

So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It is definitely going to be the final chapter of competing in First Aid Competitions. There will be no more after this. Zilch. Zippo. Caput. No matter what happens in the Nationals, I will be happy with it. Although my aim is to win, I will take heart in the fact that the team was given the chance to compete and once again display our abilities. As an ACS( I ) SJAB member, my last will be the first Friday of Term 3, St. John Day. However, my swansong as an FAC member will be the Nats. It will be the final performance before we bow out, but before that, the dream is still not over. We can still live our dream. To all our supporters who will be there for our competition, I can assure you that the team will fight to our very last. We will make the best use of our second chance, learning from our mistakes and gaining new skills along the way. We will soar on wings like eagles.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind.
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time.
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial.
For what it's worth, it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.