My boy has a penchant for soldiers, as with most boys. In his toddler days, he aspired to be a soldier when he grew up. I cannot fathom being one in any stage of my life... A soldier is essential as a country's defence force but the association of a soldier with violence seems inevitable in my mind as news of territorial fighting with armed violence in the world seems rampant. The entertainment industry tends to glorify war movies but the atrocities in a war immensely overwhelm any justified victory :-(
While Singapore is a small nation, it is beefed up by a strong defence force. Other than the political argument, I see the mandatory 2 years of National Service for its male citizens at age 17-18 as a plus from a social standpoint. The boys grow to become more mature mentally and emotionally! It roughens their charisma, makes them rugged, fosters comradeship and patriotism. Some may argue it as a waste of time for Singaporean men economically but the character that's built in the 2 years is priceless...
When my boy was introduced to soccer in his kindergarten days, he began a love for soccer and played in league matches with his academy team. His ambition changed - he aspired to be a professional soccer player! We didn't want to discourage 'the ambition' as his passion is admiringly hot at his age. He follows world class soccer players and their matches, his wealth of current soccer knowledge is impressive.
As he grew into his preteen years and became acquainted with maths and economics, his love for soccer hasn't dissipated. However, his logic grew. It dawned on him that it's excruciatingly difficult to become a world class player with Singapore as the base and when he realised that even the top player in Singapore rarely commands high price, his 'ambition' wavered with his pragmatism. As we all know, our ambitions change over time ;p Nonetheless, he still loves the idea of soldiers and soccer.
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