Foreign Policy magazine has this interesting article titled, The Dogs that Didn't Bark. They looked at famous predictions that didn't come true. Among the predictions were: Atomic Energy for All, Too Many People (interestingly, they used Sheikh Hasina's picture next to this point), Global cooling, Japan's world domination, etc.This got me into thinking about famous predictions in my life that didn't come true.
1. 1992: "He wants to become a researcher" - This is what my dad's personal asst. printed on the newspapers when I secured a position in the Combined Merit List of HSC (12th Grade). No one bothered to ask me what I wanted. And obviously, it's not the career path I chose.
2. 1993: "There's no future in what you're studying, you should transfer to a university with engineering program" - My brother-in-law, when he tried to use his powers of persuasion. It's the future now, I'm happy to have stuck to my own plan. And I've stopped listening to my family member's advice long time back.
3. 2000: "There's a vacancy at Citibank (NA), you should apply. If you're lucky, maybe they will take you" - My mother, after learning that I joined at ETV. They would tell all the relatives that I was taking a break, and that I'll return to the US soon for continuing my tudies. This stopped after about one year, when ETV became too popular for them to ignore it.
4. 2002: "ETV will come back in one month. You should regret Save the Children's offer" - my boss Sayied, trying to dissuade me from leaving. As grateful I am to him for giving me my first career break, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I started work two weeks earlier. It's now 2007, and ETV is still in quagmire thanks to political manipulation.
5. "We're getting married on 07.07.07" - what I wrote to my ex-boss, Uzma back in August last year. I would laugh, if I could.
On other note: Bob and Sheri last week had a chatroom on songs that inspired people to do something unusual. It was inspired by some italian guy whose girlfriend dumped him, and as he listened to the song 500 miles by the proclaimer, he decided to walk 500 miles to get Pope's blessing, and then walk 500 miles back to fall on the feet his ex-girlfriend. Listener's who called in cited the following
Eminem's Lose yourself as an inspiration to start a career in producing music
Here I go again by David Coverdale to break up with a deadbeat boyfriend
La Isla Bonita by Madonna to leave a husband and start a relationship with a hot Mexican
I can see clearly now by Johnny Nash to quit being a victim
Unwell by Matchbox 20 to kick painkiller addiction
Walk On by U2 to leave the job
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor to stop being a bully
I might have mentioned this before, but my inspiration song would be Life goes on by 2Pac. I untangled myself from a hurtful relationship, and used this back in early 1999 to get over it.
This might not have happened if that song wasn't there at the right time, to kick me forward.
