Beginnings and Breakthroughs

These are the memoirs of a 78-year-old ordinary man from Kerala, India. When COVID-19 brought the world to a halt, his memories began to race back over the years. Confined to the four walls of his house in Bangalore, separated from his friends, colleagues, and family members all over the world, he took the opportunity to retrace his paths over the years, revisit his choices, and reflect on the people and places that influenced him - all to share with his children and grandchildren.

Thomas was born in a small village in Kuttanad, Alappuzha District, Kerala. He had an eventful childhood with stressful experiences mingled with mischiefs in a rural background. After passing out of a technical college, and unable to find jobs close to home, he travelled to Pune in Western India - thanks to a generous donor - to work in aerospace engineering and later to teach in the College of Military Engineering.

Over the subsequent course of a career that took him to Bangalore, Sunabeda (Orissa) and back to Bangalore, he specialized in ensuring the quality and safety of Indian military aircraft and aero-engines. After his retirement at the age of 60, he trained to become an internationally recognized aerospace experienced auditor and continues to consult internationally 15 years later. This book is primarily for the author's children and family members so they may gain some perspective on the challenges faced. The book was written also to thank so many who have contributed along the many miles of the author's life journey before it comes time to bid good-bye and go to sleep.

This is part 1 of 2, and covers the period 1946-1981.