Was I always going to be here? No I was not. I was going to be

Hear the humble and thunderous words of Morgan Freeman: “Was I always going to be here? No I was not. I was going to be homeless at one time, a taxi driver, truck driver, or any kind of job that would get me a crust of bread. You never know what's going to happen.” In this confession, the great actor does not speak from the mountaintop of fame, but from the valley of uncertainty. He reminds us that the path of destiny is not straight, nor is greatness guaranteed. Behind the calm authority of his voice lies the truth of struggle, of near-despair, of walking roads where survival, not glory, was the prize.

The ancients, too, knew this truth. Fortune, they said, is like the turning of a wheel. One day a man may sit in triumph, the next he may be cast down into the dust. Freeman’s words echo this wisdom. For he reveals that even he, whose name would one day shine in the halls of cinema, once stood at the edge of poverty, contemplating lives of labor—homelessness, taxi driving, truck driving—anything that might provide the smallest sustenance. These are not the dreams of a man assured of his destiny, but the struggles of one who had to fight against despair.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln, born in a log cabin, raised in poverty, who labored as a rail-splitter, farmhand, and store clerk. No one looking upon that young man, dirty and worn from toil, would have predicted he would one day hold the highest office of his land. Like Freeman, Lincoln could have remained among the forgotten, scraping for bread, unseen by history. Yet through perseverance and faith, his life turned toward greatness. This tale stands as living proof of Freeman’s words: “You never know what's going to happen.”

But Freeman’s wisdom goes beyond uncertainty—it carries a message of humility. Many who rise to power forget the roads they might have walked. Yet here is a man who remembers that he was not destined by birth for greatness. He honors the fragility of fortune, reminding us that those who sweep streets, drive trucks, or beg for bread are not so different from those who win crowns. The line between obscurity and fame is thinner than pride allows us to see. His words remind us: never despise the lowly, for greatness may be hidden in their bones.

There is also a call to courage in this quote. To admit that one was close to being homeless is to acknowledge fear, uncertainty, and hardship. Yet it is also to proclaim victory over despair. Freeman’s words are not merely memory; they are testimony that the path of struggle can still lead to triumph. To those who walk in hardship now, they are a beacon: do not lose hope, for tomorrow may bring what today cannot imagine.

The lesson, then, is clear: embrace uncertainty, endure hardship, and walk forward with perseverance. Do not believe that your current state defines your destiny. Whether you stand in the shadow of poverty, in the anonymity of labor, or in the confusion of uncertainty, know that the story is not finished. As Freeman declares, “You never know what's going to happen.” Tomorrow’s dawn may bring a road you cannot yet see, a chance you never expected, a greatness hidden beyond your present struggle.

So let these words be written upon the heart: honor the humble, endure the struggle, and hold fast to hope. Life’s wheel turns in ways no man can predict. Today’s laborer may be tomorrow’s leader; today’s starving artist may become tomorrow’s voice of a generation. Do not despair when life strips you down to the crust of bread. Instead, walk faithfully, endure patiently, and believe fiercely. For as Morgan Freeman’s life itself proclaims, destiny is never fixed, and the unseen future may yet bring the crown.