When I was still going to school I had a simple dream. I just wanted my own space. You see, I am the eldest in a family of six siblings. We grew up in a two-bedroom flat. We actually lived in this flat for more than 20 years.Imagine this: My parents and my brother, the youngest in the family who was still a baby at the time, in one room and the rest of us in the other room. So, naturally I needed some space of my own. I couldn't complain because that was all my father could afford. So, I kept thinking … where in this world I could get my own space, go to a good school and have the chance to continue my studies overseas?
I really wanted to go to a university in England but I thought that a chance to go to a university in the United States was equally fantastic. Remember that this was in the 1970′s. The formula, "study hard, get good grades, go to a good school, get a college degree, get a good job and you are all set to conquer the world" very much applied back then. But more importantly, at the tender age of 13, I had a dream and was ready to put tangible actions in place.
Sure I did well in school, got a place in a boarding school where I actually got my own space. I did well in high school and earned a place to pursue my degree and masters in the United States. But it all started with a simple dream. With the right choices and the right actions, dreams do come true.
I will continue to hope and pray for a lot of things in life because I am a firm believer in the powers of prayers and I am also a firm believer that every single thing that takes place has its reasons. God never works in coincidences. Since we can't explain certain incidences logically and scientifically, the term "coincidence" seems to be the most appropriate response and the best excuse to get ourselves out of the cobweb of helplessness. It is just that our knowledge and ability to understand is confined to our own interpretations.
Things never happen for the fun of it nor do things happen for the sake of it. The intricate network of the if-then-else equation and the possibilities of events are so huge that it is mind-boggling. We are mere pawns of our own decisions and destiny.
Yes, the future is still wide open although I do not expect miracles. We just have to learn to knock on the right door. With sheer perseverance and steadfast courage, the right door will open and there we are "standing in the eyes of the world".
Azman Taher
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