Crossing the Threshold

I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself 

I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, 

and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother 

pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great 

ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.

-Sir Issac Newton, 1855

The weekend that just passed has been the most important one in the entire year.

I met up with the leader of OM India, and the Dalit Freedom Network.

This is the area I want to work when I graduate.

It was a really amazing meeting with Dr Joseph D'Souza.

The needs they have are exactly where I felt called towards.

(See this reference and this reference.)

I take this confirmation as divine affirmation.

I had much to ask Dr Joseph.

Here in Singapore I know of there being a world beyond, but like Issac Newton said, I'm but a boy playing at the sea-shore. I know a vast ocean is ahead of me, I know there is much hardship and suffering out there in the world, but how can I ever conceptualize ideas like sharks and whales when all I see are sea shells on the sea-shore? 

Here in the small and protected sea-shore of Singapore where I am living, it is easy to ignore the fact that there is much out there to see, to influence, and to grow in. After all, I see the same shore line every day. But one day I will be going out to sea... how then could I possibly prepare for something like the open ocean here along the sea shore?

Dr. Joseph said he would get me in contact with people working in India so I could correspond with and keep up to date with what's going on on the ground. Yeah. Let me hear stories of the sea from the sailors themselves!

And let me learn to swim in shallow waters before I hit the open ocean.

As of this weekend,

I've just taken the first step down the road that I had felt called to a year ago.

So... if the world does not end in 2012...

And if I do well enough this semester to do my honors thesis in 2013...

Then I will be in India in 2014.