Everyone Struggles

Fear of the light?

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”― Joseph Campbell

Often, we are afraid to look inward and question things. It begs the question, what are we afraid of? What is it we don't want to find? Why do we shield ourselves from the reality and light that sets in from introspection? Is it safe to say that fear of the light is what stops us from reaching the end of the tunnel where the light is?

This comes from a personal reflection of why I was scared to review where I was at in my Outreachy internship journey. A good inward search revealed that I didn't want to see if I had come short of my expectations.

At the beginning of the internship, I was driven by one goal: to gain skills in working on an AI solution for environmental issues. My long-term goal in software engineering has been to become an AI/ML engineer for social impact, particularly in providing eco-friendly solutions through my work. Outside of my career, I do environmental advocacy in my community, so finding a blend of my passion and career is an important goal.

The fAIr project by HOTOSM was the closest to it during the Outreachy contribution phase. The fAIr project is an AI-assisted mapping, using AI to identify and map features in OpenStreet Map(OSM). One can see mapping as an environmental solution in that it can help us respond properly to disasters in the most environmentally vulnerable places. Luckily, I had a skill that the other project paired with fAIr required. I could write API documentation to follow Open-API standards. The other was how to write backend test cases which I set out to learn and practice. Thus my passion for environmental development made me commit to getting in.

The light can be ugly

Earlier, I asked, "What is it that we don't want to find?" Truly sometimes, the light can be ugly. In it, we can see our shortcomings. However, identifying these shortcomings is a crucial step towards improvement. Everyone struggles, and embracing that reality can set us free from the need to hide in fear.

In light of that, I was on X(formerly Twitter) some time ago and I saw a tweet that I can relate to so much 😂. Here:

It's okay to share our struggles and laugh sometimes about them.

”Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” — Jim Morrison

Conclusion

In pursuit of my personal goal of a career in software engineering, I will continue to acquire diverse skills. All of these skills will lead to one objective: using technology for environmental development.