Calling

I'm here today in the NGO office that I am now officially with and grateful that things have worked out the way they have. I will write more on this later but for today wanted to share a reading I came across in The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo.

Our Sense of Calling

Every year, around the scalp of the planet, the caribou run the same path of migration along the edge of the Arctic Circle. They are born with some innate sense that calls them to this path. And every year, along the way, packs of coyote wait to feed on the caribou. And every year, despite the danger, the caribou return and make their way.

Often nature makes difficult things very clear. What feels like confusion is frequently our human refusal to ssee things for what they are. What lesson do the caribou shout to us with the thunder of their hooves as they deepen the crown of the planet? They are evidence, even as we speak, of the fact that in every living thing there is an inner necessity that outweighs all consequence. For the caribou it is clear what it is.

For spirits cried in human form, it is a blessing and a curse that we don’t always know our calling. Part of our migration is the fining out. What is it we are called to, beneath all formal ambition? The caribou tell us that, though there are risks and dangers that wait in the world, we truly have no choice but to live out what we are born with, to find and work our path.

These elegant animals bespeak a force deeper than courage, and, though some would call the caribou stupid, the mystery of their migration reveals to us the quiet, irrepressible emergence of living over hiding, of being over thinking, of participating over observing, of thriving over surviving.

In regions near the Arctic, the caribou are not just seen as animals living out an instinct at all cost. Rather, it is believed that their endless run, no matter what stands in their way, is what keeps the Earth turning. And somewhere, beneath all hesitation and despair, it is our endless call to being, in each of us together, that keeps the fire at the center of the Earth burning.

Sit quietly and ask yourself what you are called to. If you don’t have a sense of inner calling, please read on anyway.

Describe what arises without any conclusion. If you feel called to sing, do not conclude you need to become a singer. If you feel called to paint, do not conclude you need to become a painter. If you feel called to plant, do not conclude you need to become a gardener.

Stay with the essence of what arises. Receive it as an energy that lives inside you and not as a goal you have to achieve.

Going South

Things haven't gone as planned and I now find myself in Tamil Nadu in the beachside community of Mahabalipuram, since renamed Mamallapuram. I learned how to say this during my 30 hour train ride over 1200 + miles.

A wonderful Indian family took pity on me as they could clearly see that I was a human being in need, according to Chandran. It was 1 am when out train pulled into Chennai and I did not have a hotel reserved. Both husband and wife (Chandran and Ani) are teachers at government run schools and they have a 4 year old son, Neehaar. He and I became pals on the train and I went home with them and stayed for 3 days. Their generosity and kindness did not stop there as they introduced me to many of their teacher friends who introduced me to some of their friends as they are trying to help me find another NGO to work with.

I slept in their bed, ate their food, used their facilities and felt like a member of the family. When I left, I tried to give them $100 towards their future US trip but they refused. They just reiterated that I was a human in need. The irony is that I came to help not be helped but these people and their friends and neighbors have shown me another side of India that I could not have experienced otherwise. The seeds are planted for a life-long friendship. They were most impressed with my camera so that is a future gift.



The cross country scenery changes from desert and dust to lush green is breathtaking. The pace in this area is more relaxed and I like it here so much that I'm staying another week in the guest house. I have connected with several small NGOs and believe things will come together soon.

I am still struggling to post photos so if anyone has suggestions, please advise.

Tracy