1988 & 2012: an equidistance journey to and from millennium 2K

In 1988, when I was born, I was 12 years away from the new millennium and in 2012 I am again merely 12 years away from the new millennium.

The difference off course is nothing but the morphological changes.

Today I ponder over an amazing topic, a question and the most romantic idea: “I want to become a (profession) when I grow up.”

It’s amazing when you hear from children about the future profession they want to choose. It feels as good to hear as to imagine the child one day achieving that professional career that s/he utters. I never knew (neither did I inquire) about my future ideal as a child. May be my school teachers would remind me. I do remember that by grade 8^th I would reluctantly respond to the question “what is your future plan?” with “doctor”.

Time slipped and so did matriculation. Perplex with the option of deciding between Pre-Engineering and Pre Medical, I consult few of the best career counsellor and professionals and somehow cling to pre-engineering. Well, to their question “what is your future goal?” I respond, “I guess I want to study management sciences... or maybe I want to become a doctor... no I feel like becoming an engineer...”

Finally, I am in Lahore and in the first day of the college our Urdu professor sir Tahir Masood asks a million dollar question during an introductory dialogue. “Please one by one introduce yourself: your name, your region, your school and what do you want to become?” Why would the teacher ask us our future plan? Doesn’t he know that we are pre engineering students and we will become engineers? My heartbeat has already raced off, as I for the first time in my life hear the words “Electrical engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Electronics Engineer, and Computer Engineer” while students in the front row respond and Tahir scribbles every detail on his file paper.

It’s my turn and I haven’t yet decided my specialization in engineering, I speak “...I don’t want to be an engineer (50 students and the teacher startled at my statement fix their eyes on me) but, I want be academician and I plan to do PhD in Physics” This was brilliant; it not only surprised the audience but myself. Now the biggest joke to share with you all, the same year I drop physics in examination.

 

Well, this is 2012 and I stand here with a degree in my hand. I am not a doctor, neither an engineer. It is as if I have done everything and yet nothing. While I travelled the first half of the equidistance to the year 2000 with my parents and teachers, I wandered in the next equidistance journey from 2000 to 2012 on my romantic ideas. That made the 24 years of my life. I do not regret for not having a clear goal all these years, I wish to start anew, with clear and defined path for the rest of my life.

Happy New Year- Happy 2012

Towards a destiny with clear road map

(P.S. I loved art and Architecture)

Experience-Lesson a proximity

There are exceptional moments in one’s life which can never obliterate from a person’s mind. Specifically speaking, moments of joy from childhood, that of teenage games and sports and other extracurricular activities as a youth are few moments to cherish in every one’s life. And the interesting part, that enthusiasm dose not repeat itself later. While doomed by few momentarily unimportant realities I flip pages of my diary and encounter one piece of writing which was written keeping a specific topic in consideration that goes like…

Unforgettable moment of my life

In reference to the given topic, people may present an account of a special occasion or a day that appeals to them too much. But, rather than a particular occasion or a day, I have chosen an extended two months period i.e. April and May, of each year 2004 and 2005 of my life to be an unforgettable moment. During the year 2004-05, I was doing my secondary education from AKHSS Gilgit and at the same time I was a resident of Shah Karim Hostel, adjacent to the school. These were the months when we were given self-study break for our final examination and, it was the routine during the vacation which made the whole span an unforgettable moment of my life. Firstly, I used to get up when the Azan for Fajr was called. After offering my prayers in the prayer hall, I would go to the woods at the back of the hostel, with my Islamiat course book. For 1 hour I memorized verses from the Holy Quran. Secondly, I usually did my breakfast on my way back to my room from the woods at 6:45 am. Then, my next spot happened to be the bank of Gilgit River, which passes along my school and hostel campus. There I sat under the shad of a shawl (which I made to avoid direct sun light) and studied my course books. Time and again I used to place my foot in the flowing water to get rid of boredom or, I simply stood on the giant stones by the river from where the beauty of the city could be seen. I could see sitting there people playing and swimming at the other side of the river. Furthermore, having achieved my targets by 2:00pm I would take lunch. Afterwards, I rested for at least an hour and 30mins. By 5pm I preferred either to play cricket or go to the old gymnasium for exercise. After 6pm I used to offer my evening prayers and have dinner. During the night I studied till 12:00am and finally rested peacefully for having a contented day. This routine repeated it self and, it gave me a feeling that I never found anywhere. Thus, became my unforgettable moment of life.

The question is why not now? For a mature person things should be easier as compared to his/her childhood. Sometimes childhood offers great lessons.