AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 96 of 167 First, advising by personal example. I carry a pocket notebook with me whenever I step out of my home. It has my personal information (such as name and address). In case I am incapacitated and rendered unconscious for whatever reason, some good Samaritan may safely convey me home. Also, on the first page, I religiously jot down a quote that I am very fond of. It runs as follows: “God, grant me Serenity to accept What I cannot change Courage to change The things that I can Wisdom to know The difference.” I do not know the author of this quote. Ninety nine percent of the time, I am aware that I cannot change anything in this world. For the remaining one percent of the time, my courage or the lack of it fails me. So, one hundred percent of the time, I better adapt myself to my surroundings without compromisingmy principles and without giving up my way of life. Just because I managed to abide by the first two parts of the quote, it does not mean that I am wiser one hundred percent of the time! Honestly speaking, the only person you can change is yourself. Therein lies what little successes that I achieved during these eight decades. All this elaborate beating around the bush is to impress on you that you must carry your home address with you at all times when you step out of your house. Second, advising by advisee’s strength. Among the veteran officers, I estimate that about fifty percent of them are above the age of 70. Barring a few, the rest of these senior veterans can hardly engage in physical service to the community. But these senior veterans do want to serve the community as service to the community and society is ingrained in their way of life. In fact, it is their way of life. They too have rich experiences. They too had discharged their duties two or three decades back with lesser facilities and often at personal cost – all for the love and honor of their uniform. They have an obligation to tell their stories for the benefit of future generations of officers. Many of our senior veterans belong to the class of Venturers. They appear to be living under a self-inflicted embargo of silence. I beckon them to come forward with their stories. Particularly, in these times of isolation, you can liven up our community – regale us with humor, make us reflect on your ordeals, delight us with your adventures. Do not worry about language, grammar and spelling. What matters is your story and the spirit behind it. Do not hesitate to indulge in personal attention to yourself. Self-glorification is no crime, particularly when you are describing your valor and prowess through your achievements and successes. Please do not wait for tomorrow. No one is ever given an advance notice that his tomorrow will not arrive. It does not mean that we