Not that I am living some charmed life or live in a mansion with a maid. I live a nice life. I am comfortable, happy with a roof over my head. Lately I have been coming across people who do live a pretty charmed life and forget who they once were.

Watched Jon & Kate…the other night. Their life which could have been very hard with so many kids turned out pretty dam good. Their reality show brings in $50,000 and episode, best selling books, paid vacations to great places etc. But they forgot who they were and now their life is in a shambles, which is sad. I am sure there are people in their lives that wished this on them since things were really going their way, but in the end it’s the choices they made that got them to a bad place.

I had a conversation on the same night with an old “friend” who reminded me that the “shore” she lives on, on this island we both share is light years ahead of the “shore” I live on as far as trends and what’s “in”. And that I couldn’t possibly know the name brand of which she spoke, since I live on the other “shore”. I have been listening to conversations like this for quite a few years and I decided to give her a reality check. After I told her she could “bite me” which in retrospect I probably should not have said, although it is my favorite phrase. (very “my” shore I suppose...) I was mad. And I truly love this person I was mad at. She is a great lady. But I could not hold my tongue. I reminded her not so gently that she comes from “my” shore and I remember her when…so please stop trying to shove your name brands down my throat. You may impress other people with your later in life wealth but I am really not interested. I am only interested in the person I know…knew…not this crap.

I had this conversation in front of my sixteen year old, who does not miss a beat. So of course we had to discuss it in the car on the way home. But it made me think.

You really shouldn’t forget who you are or where you came from especially when life goes your way. It’s easy to get caught up in yourself or your success and forget the struggle to get there, and who was always in your corner every step of the way. Chances are they are still in your corner and truly have your best interests at heart. And maybe you can’t say the same about the people that you’ve met along the way.

I suppose it’s one of the reasons I love this Miley song that we put on here. Although I do find it a bit odd that I can relate to a song sung by someone who could be my child, it is about the climb. It’s about the choices you make, the story you write along the way. You may get to other side but the climb is what made you who you are. Good or bad you shouldn’t forget. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you lay your head on a pillowcase made from silk or cotton from Target. You are who you are.