I knew this
guy who was going to be a
nothing. He had always been told so, by his
parents, his
teachers,
everyone. No one treated him with any
respect, becuase no one ever thought he'd
achieve anything. No one cared what he was up to because no one
ever thought he'd do anything.
Ten years later, he received a full scholarship to Oxford University, and is now an active, respected professor.
I knew this
lady who was going to be an
old maid. She was brought up thinking she would always be
alone, never
love or be loved by anyone. She was totally convinced that she would
die alone, and she never even imagined what a
companion would be like. It was
imprinted in her head that no man would ever want to be with her, she simply expected to never be in a
relationship of any sort. She was told she would be alone, she believed it.
Ten years later, she is happily married. She has three adorable children who can never stand to be in anyone's arms apart from hers. She loves her husband, and he loves her. They look as if they'll be in love forever.
I knew this guy who was going to be an
alcoholic and had
constant depression. As his drinking
habits were fairly
extreme, most people who knew him agreed that he was clearly going to lose his job, his family, and probably even his home. No one, including himself, thought there was any hope for him at all.
Ten years later, he is a dedicated school teacher and has not touched a drink in over five years. He is nearly always happy, and has a wonderful family living in the same house as his own.
I knew this girl who was going to be in the same
town until she died. She was certain she'd never see another
country, let alone another
continent. She expected to be stuck in the same town forever, seeing the same people everyday until they managed to escape one by one to
schools or
job oppritunities. All that she would know would be what was there in that town.
Ten years later, she is hitchhiking through Asia. She has travelled through America, Europe, and is currently heading towards Japan, having just visited India. She carries a large back-pack, and meets people from all over the world. She also manages to keep in touch with them. She stays where she can, she eats what she gets. She's happy.
I knew this guy who was going to be a
construction worker. He didn't want to be a construction worker, but he felt he couldn't
pass up the job. He really wanted to be a
musician, but he didn't think he would ever make it. He packed up his drums, and decided to give them a
rest.
Ten years later, he spends his mornings working the counter at a music store, and in the evening he plays his drums out on the street, because he wants to. Between those two jobs he earns enough to live, and although he makes less than he would if he was in the construction job, he can do what he loves to do. He believes he made the right decision.
I knew this girl who was going to be
homeless forever. She was homeless at the time, and she honestly believed that she was
worthless because of it. She thought she would never be someone until she had a home, and she also thought she would never have a home. She didn't see the
point in
living.
Ten years later, she still has no home, but is just as happy as if she had one. She has many friends, some of whom have homes and some of which don't, and she lives her life as if she had a home herself, because she does. The city she lives in is her home, and she has decided that where she sleeps doesn't matter as long as she is still near the people she cares for.