Its official, everyone! I am a college graduate.

Weird.

And I am happy to report to you all that I did NOT trip walking across the stage! Woo-hoo!

I tripped walking TO the stage… and subsequently spent a majority of my walking-across-the-stage moment muttering “left, right, left, right, left…” to myself. Eventually, I found myself in front of the university president, and couldn’t help but exclaim “Ha HA!! YESSSS!”

And received probably the funniest look ever from the poor, unsuspecting guy. Ha.

All this happened on Friday. Today, I spent my day writing a new resume, and applying for jobs.

Prayers are very much appreciated, as I’ve spent the last few months reading news articles saying anyone looking for a job right now is basically throwing wishes into an empty well.

But here’s hoping!

Hey guys!

Sorry for the brief absence… I’ve been really focused on school for the past few months. And I have the eye twitch and stress pimples to prove it!

Woo-hoo!!

I’m brought out of my academia-induced exile to ask your opinion. Both of you. If you’re still there. Ha.

I seem to be having a situation with a friend of mine that is occurring more and more frequently. And I want it, nope, scratch that, NEED it to stop.

Otherwise I can’t be held responsible for my actions. Just a friendly disclaimer.

Here’s the situation: this friend is from a family who has acquired a great deal of wealth in a relatively short time. When we met, she was on the same economic playing field as me. Anywho, I have been nothing but thrilled for her each time she’s brought over another new car to show me, or called me over to see her large new house, or some other expensive toy. Sure. Maybe a little envious, but I mean, COME ON! You should see some of this stuff!

Back to the point.

Recently, I found out through a third source that she had bought tickets to see one of our favorite comedians live. We’ve both talked for months about how badly we want to see this comedian… so I (jokingly, of course) messaged her with “beg pardon! you’re going to see this person without me?!” To which she responded, “You can’t afford it, though.”

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Hmm. Let me digest this for a quick second.

She informed me I couldn’t afford it, so she didn’t even mention it to me. This is where I began to feel a little hurt. Since when does she know every intimate detail of my pocketbook? When was it ok for her to dictate to me how and when I spent my rainy day money? Least of all, why does my being a little tight on cash mean I don’t even deserve an invitation or the chance to try to wrangle up some money for the ticket?

When I mentioned to her that if money was the only issue I would have liked the chance to be invited and figure it out myself, she responded with telling me I need to stop making her feel bad… that the tickets had to be bought right then and she didn’t have the time to call me “just to hear me say no”.

Um. Ouch?

It ended by her telling me I am “irritated for no reason” and promptly leaving the conversation before I could reply.

Even with this was happening, I could see her point a little. Who wants to invite someone who is usually broke to things like this when they usually can’t go?

But then again, I felt a little indignant. Who is to say I’m so poor right now that I can’t afford one fun night with friends?

Either way, I felt like it should have been my choice whether I went or not, not someone else’s from an outside perspective.

My question to you is, what do you think is the best way of resolving this? Each solution I’ve thought of has the uncanny capacity to blow up magnificently in my face, so I’m hoping someone out there may have some words of wisdom…

Have you had a similar situation to mine happen before? How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?

In the meantime, I’ll wait here on my lovely, beaten-on, slightly-dirty college futon, nursing my school-induced twitch and praying for a day when money issues are yesterday’s news. Kinda like most other people.