The Road we have walked & the road ahead

🕯️ Thought Spark | The Road We’ve Walked — And the Road Ahead

For my Engineering Alumni – Batch of 1982

The image above moved me deeply — a lone figure holding a lantern, lighting the way while others walk with and behind. Not as a hero, not as a commander, but simply as a traveler illuminating the path for those walking with him.

It reminded me of us —

the 1982 batch, four decades on the road together.

At this stage in life, spirituality is no longer about rituals, beliefs, or doctrines. It is about something quieter, deeper, and far more practical:

How do we walk the road we are on — with awareness, dignity, meaning, and companionship?

Recently I was reading a piece called “The Spirituality of the Road” by Otti Vogt . One line stayed with me:

> “The road is sacred not because of where it leads, but because it invites us to become — here and now — more fully human.”

Isn’t that the story of our generation?

🌾 We began as dreamers…

Back in 1982, spirituality wasn’t even a word we thought about.

We were focused on marks, projects, the first job, the first salary, and the “next step.”

Life then was a destination game.

🌱 Today, it is a journey game.

After 40 years of experiences —

careers, families, losses, triumphs, and everything in between —

we now see the value of:

Slowing down.

Reflecting.

Being present.

Supporting others quietly.

Finding meaning in small acts.

The lantern in the picture symbolizes this shift.

At this phase of life, each of us carries a lantern —

sometimes bright, sometimes flickering —

but still lighting the way for someone else:

A friend.

A spouse.

A child.

A colleague.

A community.

Sometimes even a stranger.

🌟 The “Spiritual Road” of the 1982 Batch

If we had to define it, it might sound like this:

Walking with moral attention — doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

Holding each other in respect and warmth, even across years and distances.

Staying curious, refusing to become rigid or cynical.

Welcoming uncertainty as a teacher rather than an enemy.

Being stewards, not owners — of success, family, identity, and influence.

As Otti writes, spirituality is not escape — it is participation in life, fully and consciously.

It is the courage to ask:

What now?

What still matters?

How do I walk the rest of the road gracefully?

👣 Walking the Way, Together

Our alumni group is not just nostalgia or memory-sharing.

It is a living reminder that:

We began together.

We grew through different roads.

And now, we can walk the next stretch with wisdom —

lighting the path for each other.

As the old saying goes:

> “The way is made by walking. And the walking is the way.”

So here’s to all of us —

engineers, dreamers, wanderers, survivors, and companions on a long and meaningful road.

Walk on, friends.

The lantern is still in our hands.

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