"I Ain't Mad At Cha"

I was just listening to Tupac. I really think "I Ain't Mad At Cha" reflects my life, and it's definitely one of my favorites. You're probably thinking, "How can this girl relate??"

I left high school and pretty much never looked back. I only keep in touch with two people from my high school - a guy who graduated like two years after me, who I never even hung out with while I was in school, and a girl who only went to my school for the last half of senior year, and she now lives in PA. I'm on social networking sites, and even though I'm "friends" with my old classmates, I hardly ever go out of my way to message them or leave comments. It is very true that you realize who your real friends are once you leave for college.

Now that I am out of college, I've realized my high school friends are just like my high school sweetheart - a thing of the past. We all grew apart. We don't hate each other, we just don't relate to each other anymore. Our interests are different and our priorities have changed. I'm glad things haven't changed (yet) between me and my college friends, and I know I'm a lot more proactive about maintaining our relationship than I am with maintaining those from high school because I've gone through a lot more with them than my old friends.

As for Tupac - I probably relate to his song more than my old friends (who I would still help out if they needed a hand and wouldn't mind reconnecting with, if life permits it). We all go our separate ways - some people are bitter about it, maybe even jealous when they see their friends succeeding while they're trying to find their own path. Some are happy to watch their friends living the lives they have always dreamed of. Others are disgusted by people they knew in high school because they're not doing anything substantial with their lives even though they have great potential.

Overall, what I get out of the song is that Tupac could've cared less about what his old friends and associates thought of him - he's doing his thing (or was), and that's what life's all about. It's about making sure your happiness is preserved, and you're doing what you enjoy while you're still here. Tupac wasn't mad at anyone who criticized him, and that supports my strong belief that life is measured not by the tests it gives you, but how you react to them.

Was it Brian Tracy who said you're the most important person in your life? Or Stephen Covey? Some author or speaker said it, and it is true. You gotta take care of yourself first above all. That's why the flight attendants tell you to put your own oxygen mask on before helping someone else with theirs.