A physical run to Memory Lane

Believe it or not, i just travelled back time literally...

The goat, monkey and lion made a pact one day ago to run back to wing line(alpha and foxtrot)in SAFTI.

The only feeling i had in my mind when i jogged into PUB entrance(facing SCI building towards OCS) was the sensation of youth. On familiar ground, running seem like a child's feat. I couldnt really make out some training sheds but the unmistakable presence of the Link Bridge brought me back into orientation. There was a left turn after the bridge that brought us along medical centre, then alpha and foxtrot...

Somewhere within Hotel Wing there was a platoon of trainees executing an open order dressing routine. The only fact that hit my nerves as i ran was me and my age. Gosh, those are boys standing in front of their wing line!

We did the SEOC route(in ABSOLUTE CLEAN FATIGUE haha), this time in almost total darkness. The last thing i could see before darkness sets in was this "BEWARE OF SNAKES"sign. This part of the run was the closest i could get to my days back as trainee when soldiers had to do DAWN ATTACK in wee hours of the morning. As my pupils relaxed, i could make out the tracks that's so familiar to me in my mind now as i ran. I could picture my fellow wing mates running past me, along side me and behind me. They were all around, for me to pace in my mind.

Soon we hit the pavements along PIE,facing Hall 7's stretch. I swear i really felt like a 20 year old trainee. When the mind runs hard, the physical body simply turns into a state of muscle memory machine... the achings from the past day's training on the tracks aint feeling much anymore.

We found ourselves lost. 3 grown men. I supposed when one gets too caught up in thoughts, the mind automatically shuts the eyes off. In our case, the darkness didnt help. We trudged upwards, along this spiral concrete path. Literally beat around the bush and ended up facing the rear of the ceremonial hall.

We knew best not to cut the parade square.

As we edge the perimeters we had this unspoken feeling of awe. Gosh... really... time passes very fast. It was 5 years since i last threw my PIP CAP up, screaming my lungs out as my tears streamed through those sun burnt cheeks. I swear somewhere in my blood there was this soldier in me.

Without realising the fatigue in us, we were already running towards the link bridge where we started about 30 odd minutes ago. The path we took into OCS now became brighter. Probably that's the gift of the OCS power... the eyes of soldiers..to see what civilians couldnt see in darkness...

I hit my own head and brought myself back into reality. As my eyes strained from the familiar lights shining from SCI building, i had this one-to-one mapping from 20-yr-old-to-26-yr-old sensation.

OCS.I will go back there again. Soon.