Even if you aren’t a serious baseball fan, you’ve probably heard of Brooks Robinson.

The Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman was an 18-time All Star. A defensive prodigy, Robinson captured an amazing 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. His teams also made it to the World Series four times.

He often joked that the Orioles lost two championships they were favored to win, while capturing the two in which they were underdogs.

Chalk it up as examples of how predictions and reality don’t always align. Two recent developments would seem to indicate such incongruity is hardly extinct.

This Sunday marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was created with a noble purpose: To prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in a number of key areas. They include accommodations and access to important services.

To be sure, the ADA has improved living conditions for millions of people. But compared with the pregame hype, it has failed to achieve many of the lofty goals its architects envisioned.

Conversely, few among us initially expected COVID-19 to become such a game changer. In January, it was seen by many as a nothing burger.

Who would have guessed it would cause more deaths to Americans than World War I — in less than half a year?

Along the way, the virus has killed thousands of residents while raising costs and lowering revenues across the senior living field.

I mention the unpredictability of predictions because some interesting ones have begun popping up in this sector lately.

One is that senior living will become extinct as older people and their children sour on the option.

Another is that the whole notion of senior living will need to fundamentally change.

Yet another is that new concepts in seniors housing and care that don’t even exist now will soon dominate.

Will these and other prophecies play out? Maybe. Maybe not.

As any person in the weather forecasting business will tell you, a lot can change. For some relevant perspective, consider this line from an old Chuck Berry song:

 “‘Cest la vie,’ say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell.”