My sacrifice..

You haven't really served your national service if you do not know what charlie mike means.

But none of them will ever love you the way I do It's me and you

Watching the Toy Story trilogy once over again reminds me of the time that has passed and how fast it has passed. I remember first watching it at the movies in 1995. I was only 8 then. It was one of those rare moments when my dad finally relented to the pestering of his three sons to bring them to the movies. Indeed, this is something I grew up to. The familiarity of Randy Newman's "You've got a friend in me" will stick with me through the years that is going to come; that along with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex and the others.

I guess it's familiarity that brings us through our lives. It is the unknown that scares us the most even though we have no clue what it might do to us. Who knows, it might actually benefit us a whole lot more than the familiar. Which kind of showed throughout the trilogy- changes are constantly happening. It is only with change that we can grow. Sometimes we reminisce about the familiar. Memories of that will forever be by us. Changes will come by hard and fast. That's why I never really do care about the future. I mean I do plan, but not in the sense that I'd forsake what my present presents me.

Bask in the moments that you are in- be it in joy or in hardships. Life is meant to be lived once so be prudent about life's choices. That's what I've learnt from a cartoon. I guess, my mom's wrong about cartoon then- I do learn things.

I miss being a kid.

So fucking blow those words out the back of your head

It has been quite awhile since I am back in green. Long story short, it's taking quite a bit of effort to get used to it. The transition has only been made easy in the company of heroes. Even though it sounds as if I am exaggerating, each and every one of the sergeants in my company are indeed heroes. Even though our actions never get published, never get any attention or any recognition for that matter, it is through all those acts do everyone we care about sleep peaceably.

With me as an exception, nobody ever thought that being a soldier could possibly be a highlight of their lives. But we do pay the price. Injuries and illnesses are evidence of what we have sacrificed not for this country but for our love ones. They say that every military man who contribute will receive some sort of a burden after the leave the military. The greater the contribution, the greater the burden. Sadly, my company contributed the most and hence the price to pay has been great. So far, 2 of my men has already passed away ever since 2008. One was very hardworking, the other...well, he was hardworking in his own way.

I guess what makes the unit, or rather the company, are none other than the ones that have chevrons sewn on their sleeves. Till this day, what they have did over the period of 2 years still amazes me. What I did in those two years would put my current self to shame. Unfortunately, the uniform that I was issued in 2006 can barely fit. Thankfully, we are getting new ones soon. Hopefully, I'd get back to the shape I was in 5 years ago. Regrettably, I can only do so much with this knee. But we can only strive.

The past 2 days have proven to be something that each of us cherished- camaraderie. We have always had this bond since back in those days as our we all shared a common hatred- our superiors. Thankfully, that has carried us on smoothly into the current phase- it was as if we had never parted. I guess this is one of the reasons why I choose to stay in hall despite the fact that I stay only 10 minutes away from campus. Truth be told, I did have trouble sleeping on the night I ORD as for the first time in 2 years, I was sleeping all alone in my room. Well, one can never find the bond anywhere else in life other than the ones that you've build in those 2 years. Come tomorrow, all the time to catch up will be replaced by the millions of activities that we have to carry out. For me, the next two weeks will only mean 3 maybe 4 hours of sleep a night.

Well, here goes nothing...