& so I saw...

a post from a senior, Benedict, on FB, which read:

Benedict Chan 

wonders why many boys dreamt of becoming soldiers as children. He was no exception. What was that appeal that struck a chord in our young minds that military life was something every child desired to live? 

Maybe it's when we see them parade down in neat files of three, proud and confident.Maybe it's when we hear stories of individuals honored for their service with medals and badges, shiny and impressive.
Maybe it's when we hug our fathers who return home smartly in uniform, fresh and comforting.

What he didn't know when as a child was that soldiers fought for the pretty picture they present. They may not have fought enemies, but they fought fatigue, stress, weather elements, and their own shortcomings.

Most importantly, they fight for the sake of others. Perhaps that applies to all our childhood ambitions: Firemen, policemen, doctors, teachers and lawyers all work in the service of the masses. Perhaps children recognize this, the sliver of a thought that they can make a difference with what they do when they grow up.
.
.
.
He toiled away endlessly at the ground to form a shellscrape; while the child in him slept peacefully, mouthing dreamily: "When I grow up, I want to be a soldier."

& I liked it.