After attending the NTU SBS FOC 2010, one question popped into my head: Why did I not go for last year’s FOC? It dawned upon me as the single biggest regret and the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life in recent years.
The five-day camp was an eventful one. It holds a lot of meaning to me, because I made so many friends, freshies and seniors alike and especially the group that I was tagged together, I felt like one big family. As a photographer who was attached to ‘Marios’ for the entire five days, I cant help it but feel a sense of sadness and regret when everything came to an end. On one end, I felt happy that I made so many new friends, on the other end, I felt regretful, not going to my own FOC last year. The way the group bonded together so tightly, made me wonder how many friends I could have made during that time for my own FOC. The uphill challenge in forging new friendship ties post FOC would have made it so much easier, if I went for me own FOC. With that, I could potentially have an easier time during my first semester in school.
What was I actually thinking when I made the decision not to go? What was it that prevented me from going? I remembered I was still serving NS during that time, but I could still have gone to great lengths to negotiate with my superiors in camp to let me off during the week so I could attend this once-in-a-lifetime event. Was it my lack confidence, my innate fear, the fear of unknown holding me back? Or was it the feeling that the whole camp thing was just nothing significant at all? I have been thinking and I still cannot get hold of a definitive answer. Many factors probably play a role in my decisions, and one full year has already passed. But still, I should have just taken the plunge, just as I did when I decided to volunteer to be a photographer and cover the FOC event.
And boy was I glad to cover the event. It was ardous and tiring, but after attending this years FOC, not a single sliver of regret remains in me. Were I given a choice to cover another FOC like this one, I would most likely take up the offer.
Photography, as my new hobby has sort of given me a boost in confidence, and also a front to actually take a plunge in doing these stuff. It has given me an opportunity to do something worthwhile, at the same time, doing something that I love doing so far. Photography has also given me an excuse to do stuff that I normally wont do, all for the sake of photography. It has helped me transition easily towards outside my comfort zone. It is a hobby where I can fall back on should I be afraid to take the plunge in doing something different or new. If not for my DSLR and photography, I wouldnt have thought of coming out and helping out in the FOC, and that would mean any wasted opportunity to make new friends and have fun with them.
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