I never studied abroad as a young woman because my parents were firstly conservative and secondly, couldnt afford to send me at age 18 (or 21 for that matter). I studied here in one of the best local colleges. One of my friends was a very nice girl, Jill, who came from a middle class family. They were catholics and her father had a very respectable job in a private firm. She was bright and very funny. Once after college we were sitting around the canteen and discussing what we were going to do and she said she wanted to be a private secretary in a firm to the CEO becasue the secretaries of CEO's are well paid and pampered and have an easy life. Her mom had been a private secretary to the CEO of a multinational and was picked and dropped home and got bonuses and a good pay and didnt have to work long hours. I said i wanted to be a journalist and do in-depth reporting on the grave injustices of society (i was 19!), others had various views which ranged from doctor to lawyer to fashion designer and TV show host.
Anyhow we graduated from college. I tried my hand at being on the staff of a local eveninger. That experiment lasted five days. Told my dad that i hated it. He, poor man, pulled a few strings and landed me an internship at a mulitnational bank. I wasnt sure i wanted to do that either, but didnt want to appear to be flighty and indecive to the parents. Also it was bothering me that i didnt know what i wanted to do or be and that i was 20 and had no idea where to go. Wasnt going for further studies and at the time when i finished by BA in the last years of the 80's, there was really very few options in Pakistan, which were acceptable to both parents and myself. So decided to jump in with both feet at the opportunity the internship provided me. Worked my tail off for the next two months. Stayed late, did extra projects, acted like the goffer girl. And then came my break - at the end of the internship i was offered a job which paid whole two thousand five hundred rupees (about USD 80 at the time). My God! I thought i was well on my way to becoming a power-wheeling investment banker. Little did i know how far (far, far, far) that was away from the truth :)
A couple of years down the line, i had earned a masters degree while working and changed jobs. One day i was visiting my fathers Travel Agency, which had offices all over the country. I had talked to his new secretary on the phone and she was going to let me wait in his office while he was in a meeting. I reached Dad's office and the secretary buzzed me in. On reaching his office, the person holding the door open was Jill. We looked at each other and broke into laughter and sat down and had a good talk.
Coming back home that day i was pensive. Jill was way smarter and brighter than me but she became a private secretary. Everytime since then when i think of that incident i go quiet. What part does our own drive play in where we end up and how much is destiny? I am not saying that anything is possible (because that is really and truly not true!), but do we limit ourselves with pre-conceived notions???? Dont know about others, but i know Jill did that to herself.
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