So I spent my whole afternoon with this reflection of mine. And mind you, its 795 words in all, type-written by ME. It wasn't really considered as hard work, since I effortlessly typed a continuous flow of words. Though I had to think for quite some time before coming up with this. So here goes...

My Reflection

Dear Mrs Yeo,
I am here to give my reflection on the lack of responsibility and team spirit we have displayed last Wednesday, 20th of July, when we did not join the rest of the Secondary One and Three netballers for our weekly Community Involvement Programme (CIP) every Wednesday in Cedar Primary School. Instead, I was blinded by the moment of temptation with the rest of my friends to go for the National Track and Field meet held at Chua Chu Kang stadium. We acted at the spur of the moment and thus, as a result, leaving only Shu Hwee, Shi Wen, Chloe, Jean and four other Secondary One netballers to help out at the Cedar Primary School. We did not think about the consequence of our absence, that only eight of them had to helplessly distribute the work of the supposedly twenty-plus of us among themselves.

The eight of them had to handle the students themselves, and it was not an easy task at all, since there were many more primary school students than the eight of them and they were short of manpower. We have all regretted our unwise and hesitant decision that day and we really hope that you will forgive us for it. It was completely irrational of us.

I sincerely apologise for the lack of responsibility we have all displayed that day, when we left Shu Hwee and the rest to do the CIP themselves, while we were enjoying ourselves at the National Track and Field meet, and cheering our hearts out to our fellow cedarians running their lives for the medals and the time they have spent to train so hard for that particular meet. Even though we all showed "team spirit" at the Chua Chu Kang stadium, we did not do likewise to our own team mates and forsaking them for the sake of displaying our "team spirit" elsewhere. It was very foolish of us to have acted in such a way and not thinking of how our own team mates had to settle the problem of the lack of people attending the Community Involvement Programme. We did not consider their feelings of being the only ones left to do all the work. I am very sure they had thoughts about going for the meet too, but because they had the responsibility entrusted to them to attend the weekly CIP, they did not act like us, who fell for our own temptation that because many other cedarians were going for it and plus the fact that our own friends were running, we did not want to miss the opportunity to attend the annual National Track and Field meet which only comes once in a year.

On that particular Wednesday, I was stuck in a dilemma on whether to go for the weekly CIP, or go for the annual National Track and Field meet. In the end, I went to the stadium with my friends despite the fact that I had CIP at Cedar Primary School that very same day. True, I felt a twinge of guilt when I was on the way to the Chua Chu Kang stadium, but unfortunately, I did not do anything about it. The very next day, we had training and you gave us a lecture about what happened the day before and I felt remorseful towards the eight netballers who attended the CIP at Cedar Primary School. I have let them down by forsaking them for the sake of my own unwise desire. I am disappointed with my own actions, and feel sorry for what had happened. I should not be so hasty to do that, and acting in impulse as a result.

What exactly is responsibility? You might ask us, since we clearly did not display a sign of responsibility that was entrusted to us. After two years and seven months in Cedar Netball, we still did not have the basic sense of discipline instilled in us, and that we have already become seniors to our many juniors from Secondary One and Two. However so, we did not show a good example for our juniors to follow. Responsibility is about acting out a task given to us. However, I could not even handle this simple task of attending the CIP, and not even mentioning about other difficult tasks given out to others. Nothing I say now can change the fact that we skipped CIP.

I can only say that I am sincerely sorry about the whole matter and I apologise for the lack of responsibility and discipline shown by myself. I hope that you will forgive us for our attitude towards that particular Wednesday and I can assure you that this will not repeat anymore.

Janine Teo,
Secondary 3/C.
(795 words)

It had to be printed out in brown ink though. Since my black ink died-ed on me.

I'll be going near town to some flea market later with Xinru, Jacinda and Grace. Meeting them at 1900h. Hmmm. Cheap stuff for once. Gotta get ready now, before I'm late again.

Janine.