Posted on 10-Oct-2013
The normal life of a Brigadier in 10th KL starts in January when Form 1 students all decide whether they wish to join the company or not. My entry to BB, however, was slightly different. Unlike most members of 10th KL, I homeschool. Literally. I study at home. Combined with the fact that I only joined in March, unlike the rest who joined months earlier, it was a rather shy, nervous Boy who join the company that day.
That first day was one full of surprises. Friends I thought I knew well revealed another face. As I was new there, I just couldn’t keep up with the rest of the recruits. For the next few weeks, the circumstances forced me to:
1. Sit out during band (my flute was undergoing repair)
2. Have “private” drill lessons (the rest were already way ahead)
3. Fall-in in non-sports attire (I had no idea what to expect)
Those first weeks were embarrassing, but in no ways boring. I made new friends, learned new things and did many others I have never before done. Now as I look back, as I wonder why actually stuck on to it, I realize that as time moves, so do we.
When I first joined, I joined mainly for the opportunity to learn another instrument in the brass band. The situation quickly changed. If I had came only for the band, I would not be writing this today.
Today I am here for the friendships that I have built up and strengthened over my 3 years in BB. Not just with friends my age, but also with the officers, NCOs and Juniors. It was only after almost 3 years in BB that I even realize the true benefits of BB - friends.
Yet that is not the way BB has shaped me today. For me, discipline is NOT something all those hours in BB has taught me. The things BB has taught me are just as important, if not more important than discipline. Getting to know others is one of those skills, one that I often lack. Voicing my opinion humbly is another one of those skills. I could fill an entire book listing and elaborating these skill BB has instilled in me.
Even so, I am still learning. I still haven’t, and probably will never fully understand every single blessing BB has given me. It is such that I am still in BB, and because of such reasons that I encourage everyone to join, whether you are 10 or 18 years old. There is always room for you in BB.