After high school, we as students have been faced with different opportunities and options.

Many times during high school, we tended to set forth very specific goals for ourselves without considering the reality of life and the possibility of responsibility.

A few months ago, I ran into a girl at Wal-Mart who I used to be good friends with in high school. It took her a while to call, but she did eventually, and I only have three words to describe the conversation: Hot. Ghetto. Mess.

The conversation started with us reminiscing about how ridiculously boring our senior year of high school was. Then we started to catch up on current times.

I told her where I currently work, she asked me my pay rate, and not to toot my own horn, but, toot-toot. I proudly professed my figures.

She began to go off on this tangent about how she doesn’t “give a damn about being book smart” and that she was “tired of folks lying about getting into college because them books ain’t gonna save you when the hood knocks at your door.”

I had to put the phone down to laugh at that one. Furthermore, she actually accused me of undermining her intellect and lying about being in college and thinking I was better than her. After hanging up on her, I thought to myself, “Can you truly be friends with someone from high school who is not on the same page as you?”

After discussing the topic with a couple of friends, I came to the conclusion that yes, you can be friends with someone from high school even if his or her life is not going in the same direction as yours.

As long as the direction he or she is going in doesn’t interfere or negatively disrupt the direction that takes you to accomplishing your goals, it’s fine. Because truly, who is to determine which is the right direction or which goals are appropriate enough to accomplish?

According to a 2005 poll by The Public Agenda – an organization which underscores the need for counselors to better aid students – about one in three students do not pursue higher education. I used to represent a part of that percentage which did not meet the higher education expectancy, but at the same time, that does not necessarily mean I was on the wrong path, but more so taking my time to find the right path for me. Life after high school can be very scary or even an embarrassing subject when you’re the one who’s trying to find the direction you want your life to go. So for all you lost people, don’t become discouraged or angry, because not yet finding your path only means that you have not yet fully explored what you feel is important for you to accomplish in life.

Talecia Bell can be reached at [email protected].