Past Ambition, Future Aspiration

Ambitions, dreams, aspirations, whatever you call them....

Today, there is this Home Team exhibition booth outside the auditorum and today I have taken none of the brochures and gifts at all. It caused me to reflect on the changes of my career path ever since I came to NYP and study Occupational Therapy (OT).

It reminded me my long story....

My childhood dream is was to join the Singapore Police Force, so I joined the National Police Cadet Corps in the year 1997 when I was in Secondary One. Attachments/ Visiting of Police related departments - Police Dog Unit, Police Coast Guard, etc further strengthened my ambition of joining the force. I even have hobbies such as collecting anything related to the force from brochures to magazines to keychains and even rulers.... Haha... can imagine how "Police-crazy" I was....

Through the years, I began to like NPCC more. To tell the truth, I wasn't the most active, nor am I the most interested person when I was Secondary One but things changed as I went to Secondary Two.... I became someone with more initiative as I began to like what I was doing.... and soon..... I was "seen" and "recognize" by the seniors..... and soon.... that started all the things that changed my life.... =)


For the next 1-2 years or so..... the passion developed in me, whether is it for the Force or the Corps. All the teacher officers have alot of trust in me..... and soon, I was on my way for Passing-Out-Parade as known as POP. Still have this picture of us.....

Then after, I made another decision to join the 59th Batch of Cadet Inspectors' Basic Training Course (CIBTC) and there I was, graduated as a Cadet Inspector.

I went back to serve back my unit, the unit that I was from. Till now, I have seen members from the 1st batch to the 13th batch..... and yet to see the 14th batch ( I was from the 4th batch =) ) After I graduated as a Cadet Inspector, I've also went to help out in a few CIBTC as instructors..... My active period was long over.... it's time to hand over to the younger generations.... and my school workload and attachments doesn't allow me to commit myself too....

Oh, it was still my dream even till when I was in JC.... and even before I decided to join OT. It was a struggle to choose what I want to study after my As - NTU Engineering or NYP Occupational Therapy.

I asked myself what I want to be..... what are my reasons of studying/education? Then, I told myself this and I can still remember:

"I want to join the force but I want to get a degree and be a Senior Police Officer BUT I do not want to get a degree for the sake of having a degree. I want to study something that I like."

Being an engineer is definately not my cup of tea.... well, I can maybe study it for a year or two but soon, I will get bored..... Thus, I decided to do OT. Because I know I can learn a lot of things about people.... not machines..... and furthermore, there is degree conversion... not another 3 years but 1.... so it is not too bad....

But in the process of pursuing the OT education, I began to see light and begin to reflect more.... whether I want to "catch" the baddies and protect the "goodies" OR to help the needies.... the less fortunate and to treat everyone regardless of their status.... regardless whether or not they are the one who stole from people..... or whether they are the construction workers..... or whether they are someone who have multiple sex partners and tested HIV-positive....

And well, there will always be people who were once like me who wants to be a Police Officer... I mean these are always the common childhood ambition that people would want to be. I do not foresee that there will be no one who do not want to be a Police Officer.

Till now, I think you all should have known the choice that I have made.


I have chose the road less travelled.......

Now thinking back, it is not that bad after all. At least I have held and fired both .22 and .38 Smith & Wesson Revolver before. =) and at least I have don the uniform before.....

Though the road is getting tougher but there is a quote that I always like.....

" The road may be difficult but with skills and confidence, I will be able to help the people in the future."

- Spiderman in <<拥抱明天>>

With few more months to go..... all of us will be truly be called a full-fledged Occupational Therapists.

Till then, let us hang on there, with each other as social support during the late nights on the MSN, with cups and cups of coffee next to us and of course preparing to hear the music and annoucements in the school library....

Gambatte!