Page 101 - USA BOOK FINAL PDF---08-09-2020web-1_Neat-final

My Life’s Journey
M.B. Veerabhadrappa

I was born in the remote village of Mellahalli in Karnataka, India. I came from an
uneducated farming family and was fortunate to become an engineer by God’s grace,
associating with good friends, having a good learning environment and working hard.
Over the past 77 years, I have had the opportunity to have a successful career in India,

the U.S, and a happy family life. My love and gratitude for my motherland brought me
back to my serve my community in India, as I believe that service to humanity is service
to God.

Sri Swami Vivekananda said the following regarding the importance of association,
“The rain drop from the sky-if it is caught in the hand, it is pure enough for drinking. If it
falls in a gutter, its value drops so much that it can’t be used even for washing feet. If it
falls on a hot surface, it perishes. If it falls on a lotus leaf, it shines like a pearl and finally,
existence & worth
if it falls on an oyster, it becomes a pearl. The drop is the same, but its existence& worth
depends on whom it associates with.” These beautiful words have been a reality in my
life’s journey.

I was the eldest of nine children and was encouraged by my parents to study. I enjoyed
farming and initially resisted their insistence to go to school. I worried about the cost
of a good education and felt a sense of responsibility for my siblings. I finally relented
and studied up to high school in a small town about two miles from my home. Every
day, I walked to school in the hot sun with bare feet. When I was in 8th grade, my father

bought me a new pair of slippers. Having slippers for the first time in my life was a
heavenly experience, as I no longer had to bear the pain of walking on stones and thorns
during my daily commute to and from school.
One day, a government minister visited my village at the request of the community

to explore the construction of a small bridge. An engineer accompanied the minister
taking notes on the visit and evaluating the project. When I saw this engineer, who was
actively trying to help people, I decided that I too would become an engineer and serve
the community. As I matured, I realized how challenging and limiting it would be to work
97
34