Like you, I didn’t enjoy reading the IB English books in the later year of high school. I barely understood the plot much less the deeper meanings and underlying themes. Till this day, I cannot for the life of me tell you what happened exactly in a majority of them. I found so many of them to be frankly depressing and pointless. I did like the books in the earlier years – especially those from other countries. 

I remember the Odyssey vividly. I didn’t appreciate Ulysses (my preference over Odysseus) until much later. I liked the more aggressive characters in the Iliad more, like Achilles and Ajax (whom I named a fish after, whom I believe our cat ate after his bowl was placed within reach). I thought Ulysses was too cunning for his own good. I eventually realized he was so much more than that – he had incredible fortitude and resilience to make it all the way home to Ithaca. 

 It dawned on me recently that when he told people his story, not everyone would be all that interested. I also don’t think words are adequate to describe some things we see. 

When I lived in Vienna for several months in 2011, I visited cities and other locations in Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland. It was memorable. I told my college roommate that I don’t thunk I’ve told anyone about all that I saw. I took photos of course but didn’t really write much about it. I’m not that cultured but I made sure to attend concerts, operas, and visit art museums. I didn’t really understand much but I know it affected me profoundly. 

I can’t remember if I mentioned this previously but I got assigned to work with the worst bully in my unit. In a strange foreshadowing way, she once worked at the NYC Department of Investigations where I would end up 4 years later, a place that can only be described as a snake pit. I do somewhat take her down and help some of those she antagonized. I barely remember her name now. I remember Rome, Venice, Florence, Berlin, Munich, Prague, Bratislava, Salzburg, Krakow, and all the places in between. 

I think the journey isn’t for others to understand but it’s nice to tell. It’s hard fo find someone who appreciates it – the smooth and rocky portions. The UN itself was also heavily bureaucratic. I was in the headquarters of the Office of Drugs and Crime. Again, in a bit of foreshadowing, I end up at NYPD headquarters 5 years later. That and the UN were remarkably similar. Many good, dedicated people dedicated to the mission stymied by politics and other negative elements.  

But I still find life. The cafeteria has great food, I meet interesting people including several Malaysians, and one of them is ————, whose name is remarkably similar to your middle name. I also meet a female astronaut and learn some Arabic from the language course offered. This is also when I go to Korea on a last minute UN mission. This is when I meet the Korean equivalent of the Attorney General and even some former students. In my spare time, I write lectures for a course that changes many lives – students, the community, and me. I also study for the foreign service exam. I learn basic negotiation and mediation skills at UN sponsored trainings. All these activists play a role later. I end up on a UN research team a year or two later, giving me an actual publication.  

Nothing is wasted. 

The dots connect. 

I think that’s how faith and life work. Ulysses learns all he needs on his voyage home to reclaim his throne and rescue his wife and son. One of the insights I picked up this year is that Athena, the goddess who loves him the most, doesn’t intervene or directly help hum all that much.  She does, but it’s at very specific times. I thought of why she is not as involved as one might imagine and I think it’s because in part, her assistance wouldn’t have been all that useful. 

Timing as they say is everything. And you came at exactly the precise time.