Kaleidoscope of dreams- My time in Zhonghua NPCC Unit

Attitude is everything.

Despite going through a year-long dislike of my CCA, I more or less hung in there long enough to learn the basics of NPCC. Such as drill and campcraft, going through the promotion tests and Adventure Training Camps. And soon, I would realise how important it was that I managed to hang on rather than to just quit and give up.

I still recall so vividly the day when my entire life was changed- whether for better or worse, I will never know. For some reason, training that Saturday was from 8am to 5pm, rather than the usual 8 to 1. However, my NCOs knew that I played soccer, thus asked me to join them in a NPCC soccer competition at Bartley Secondary. Obviously, I grabbed the chance with much glee. What better way than to skip NPCC than by playing soccer. The soccer competition of course, did not go the way we would have liked it to. However, I scored our only goal in the competition as we ran out winners against Maris Stella. The moment was sweet, it would probably remain the only goal I ever scored in a competition.

With the competition ending before lunch, it meant that we had no choice but to return to Zhonghua for training. We took our time with lunch, then ever so slowly made our way back. It was almost dreadful. I had forgotten to bring along my belt, and coincidentally, our Cadet Inspector was taking our squad for training that day. I was promptly given an entire earful. I was made the timer that day because my uniform stood out, and when I thought everything was over after the training, Darren Sir asked me to meet him after dismissal. If you knew the context a little more, you would understand how scared I was. I felt sick that very moment, and readied myself for some severe punishment.

It could not have turned out more differently.

He let me know that I could go very far if I wanted to, and that he would help me do so. That was, in essence, him giving me the opportunity to be groomed. One of the ways, he said, was to send me for the Lifesaving course the following year, and enable me to become the first person in Zhonghua NPCC Unit to receive the badge. That one moment, changed my entire life.

I had needed just that wee bit of encouragement. For someone to tell me that I was not the worst they had ever seen. That I could still turn things around despite my poor background in NPCC. I guess, attitude is everything. Whether we think we can or cannot, it will determine how we approach something. Whether we want to determine within ourselves to achieve something, will decide how much we are willing to put into it.

The next few months would see myself grow into a completely different character.

Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.