5 Minute Freewrite - the military
Military, my favourite subject! Because in Finland every 18-year old is obligued to go in there or alternatively to a civil service where I currently am.
Shameless commercial break about my posts where you can read about my experiences in the civil service:
My Civil Service #2 - First week in the education center - The worst is already behind
My Civil Service #3 - The civil service center in the middle of a peaceful countryside
My Civil Service #4 - Mindfully increasing my life saving skills
My Civil Service #5 - I FOUND A SERVICE PLACE - The civil service center in the middle of a peaceful countryside, PART 2
My Civil Service #6 - An end with a new beginning
My Civil Service #7 - First week in the work service
My Civil Service #8 - My service was found precious right in the beginning
Lecture from a REAL PRISONER - My Civil Service #9
Extreme Mood Swings - My Civil Service #10
My Civil Service #11: I May Have Discovered My God
Commercial brake over, you may continue with the freewrite.
I've been meaning to do an in depth post about my thought process why I decided this way. That's why I'm not even going open the pandoras box in this freewrite because that would escalate quickly. Better save that for later.
Oh, now something popped into my mind that is perfect use for this: One day I was in a train going to work when I heard a man and a woman discussing Finnish military and how today's military is such a wimpy place because hazing had been forbidden by law. Then the man made an outrageous claim that today's mental health problems are caused by of lack of structure in young people's life. And I guess he used that also as an argument for military (which is quite bad of an argument btw; structure education for young adults; that could be done way more efficiently by other means).
But seriously, how the fuck can someone think that a single contributing factor to depression is liberal upbringing/lack of structure or boundaries (btw, liberal upringing isn't even that common today, so dude in the train: maybe get yourself in this decade and stop forcing your own horrible experiences you've had to go through to everybody else.) Such a claim is so absurd that how do you even start debunking it. Sure, it can contribute to a degree. But to claim that it single handedly causes it. That is seriously unbelievable. I should've given the man a handshake for the creativity.
And the woman is also like "yeah, men used to be iron". I'm not actually too sure anymore who said and what. If you're refering to the people in the war. Well, Finns used a shit ton of amphetamine to keep going and to be able to go through the shit they had to, so "iron men" seems more like a romanticed dream to camouflage the ugliness of it all.
Introduction to freewriting by @mariannewest
My previous freewrites:
Weekend Freewrite: Pink Is The Most Painful Colour
Day 141: grocery list/ostoslista [ENG/FIN]
Day 140: Blockages in the Flow
"today's military is such a wimpy place" "today's mental health problems are caused by of lack of structure in young people's life"
Ahh, the typical +60-year-old starter pack. I can't comprehend how people make such claims. There are so many factors contributing to the rise of mental health problems that you can't just say things like that.
Haha, that's a good one! Although the guy was like 40-50, but still oldish.
Interesting read, I never knew that about conscription still being active in Finland... That's tough on young people to force them into something they may not agree with..
I'll just say it: Honestly the only reason for the historical artifact is that 1000km board with Russia. It's always the same: "we need enough men to prevent a potential attack from Russia being to costly to do", or something along those lines with the main argument of preemptively preventing any possible attack.
Well, at least there's civil service for people like me who don't want to support such institution. And I get some daily and food money, large chunk of which I get to save and invest into crypto or purchase myself something useful because I live with my parents who largely provide the necessary expenses of living. So, could be worse.
Only thing still bit iffy is that it lasts 347 days, as long as the longest serving time in military. Sure, military is harder bla bla and such but usually what mostly matters in the decision making is how long they are "locked up" in duty as DAYS. That's why most people go to military and try get away with 6 months (minimum serving time). But the serving time isn't even fully in the hands of draftees and they might be forced into something they don't want to do.
Wow, that's all news to me, at least there was the civil service option like you say.. I suppose in one way it does give you valuable work experience, and everyone has to do it, so everyone should be equipped with at least a basic skill-set for the world of work.. For me though, I really don't like to be told what to do, so I would struggle with having to do something because someone told me I had to... It's a good point too about the border you share with Russia. Given, the lessons of fairly recent history Finland obviously needs to protect itself, regardless of how likely or unlikely any sort of action is..
Yeah, even though it is forced work you can always learn from it. But the funny thing is that usually I literally don't have tasks for the whole work day but I still have to be there for 7h 51 minutes because of, I don't know, reasons? Some stupid law? The civil service law actually says that the minimum working hours weekly is 36 which would make 6 hours a day. But I'm nonetheless treated as "equal" when I'm actually not.
Sorry about the ranting; sometimes things just make little sense to me. Anyway, the quality of the service very much depends on the place one gets (which is chosen and applied by the servant himself). But the best thing about the whole service was the 30-day education period where we learned stuff like CPR, initial firefighting and lot of other interesting stuff.
In my work service I've now gotten into helping with an intoxicant prevention program. I get to tutor kids and discuss about these things through a story we tell them so it's not all too grim. That's actually way more valuable experience than what I regularly do; archiving, hoovering, repetitive stuff that I don't actually learn anything other than endure dullness.
Not ranting at all.. It's good that you are at least getting some use from it, like the CPR, which is a wonderful thing to know how to do.. You could save someomnes life some day.. Your involvement in the "intoxicant prevention program" is very commendable as well and you could again be helping save someones life here... The archiving and hoovering must be a pain in fairness, I would not like that either... It definitely beats being shouted at by some sergeant major though! :o)
Haha, definitely!
Liked your post very much. I can't stand this argument that young people need (more) structure in their lives and the military service makes you man. The first thing it teaches young men is to obey blindly...
Anyway, a much yummier prompt today:https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-114-5-minute-freewrite-monday-prompt-frosting-a-cake
Being someones puppet actually seems rather backwards to me of what being a "man" or masculine is. I've thought that masculinity is about being independent (not listening to others!) and protecting others. But who am I to say this, I probably don't know shit. But honestly it doesn't seem like very masculine thing to do to abandon one's own values because someone else says you must do this and that. But nobody cares about that stuff; the meter of masculinity (or manliness, not the same thing, but in this case I guess they're intertwined) seems to be the ability to endure mentally and physically challenging tasks. Funnily, when following this criteria, being a single parent of multiple children seems like the most masculine thing to do (working potentially multiple jobs and all the troubles of parenting).
Btw, perfect timing since I was just navigating to today's prompt :D
Your views on military service and politics seem, to be blunt, uneducated and childish. There is nothing unmanly in obedience so long as it is not absolute. Following orders is an exercise in discipline. To bear responsibility, a man must first learn discipline. To lead, a man must learn to follow. That isn't to say a man must follow blindly, without question. Critical thinking is key. A good soldier is not only allowed, but has a duty to disobey orders that contradict with his conscience. Likewise, he has a duty to overcome his innate hedonistic tendencies and to do what is necessary; not only that which is expedient. That is what they teach in the military. Schools, on the other hand, are doing an awful job at teaching critical thinking.
I will have to read your writings on civil service. Hopefully those are less blissfully ignorant.
Firstly, thanks for your input!
Definitely, if my comment was a serious statement, which it isn't. It was written in a moment when all I did was splash my words on paper, like in the freewrite. I'm aggravating and generalizing on purpose, poking myself and others.
When I make serious statements I think things through from different angles, before forming an opinion. And if I have an opinion, I don't reject other views before examining them, at least I try, I'm still only a human.
I fully get this side of the argument.
I appreciate if you do! The only one of those that actually considers military is the first one in which I explain things more objectively, not throwing unsophisticated views. The others are more or less on a personal level of me.
That I fully agree with.