I have stopped paying attention to National Day theme songs because they ride on the prevailing trend of the moment, only to dissipate the next year and maybe be revived ten years later. I mean, I don’t know if I’m just a cynical boomer grumbling but as I age, I long for people and organisations to slow things down and build on their predecessors’ efforts rather than attempt to come up with something shiny and original all the time. Yes, I’m thinking of Japanese craftsmen who try their mightiest to preserve time-honoured traditions and use their ingenuity to infuse technology into traditional practices. We Singaporeans never have the patience to nurture things that have lasting impact.

But then, my son returned from his childcare centre, excited about the National Day celebration in school. Still sufficiently pumped with adrenaline such that I YouTubed this year’s theme song, “Shine Your Light”.

The four-year-old boy exceeded my wildest dreams by singing and dancing his heart out to the song. He genuinely engaged with the song, not like those half-hearted teenagers who would perform perfunctorily because they had to. He was so enthusiastic that I told my wife about it. And then we watched him shake his bon bon and clap and sing unabashedly for the second time.

Okay, I guess new National Day theme songs do serve a purpose in catching the hearts and activating the bodies of our young. I sure can’t imagine him dancing his heart out to “Count on me, Singapore”.

My son owns dual citizenship - and I’m perfectly chill if he decides to renounce his Singapore citizenship in the future. But I hope certain things will remain etched in him no matter where he goes - savouring iced Milo, eating spicy wanton noodles even though it burns his tongue, shouting in delight at the sight of red-and-orange MRT trains, and of course humming a National Day song or two.

For eternal memories can nonetheless be made even in a society as fast-changing as ours. Happy Birthday, Singapore 🇸🇬