As a student in college our lives catch up to us, however, do we really ever catch up to them? In my time here at North Alabama, I have seen the stress students have to take in their college lives. As for me, I listed out my priorities on a whiteboard before school started so I knew what I was getting myself into this year.

Those priorities listed out to be eight, eight priorities for only my second year of college. It  still can only go up from here, am I right?

Yet, what should I choose to be the top priority? My family, my future job and career, the community around me, my church or something else? This is how I found myself a week ago, sitting, contemplating and reminiscing on how things have so vastly changed in just two years.

In just two years I have jumped from a dream to reality in my line of work. I have gained momentum on making my degree factual and becoming the sports communicator that I want to be in my near future.

However as I am progressing, I found myself tumbling. As I focused on all my ‘priorities’ that were going to further me into my hopefully successful future, I neglected the people and things that cared and loved for me the most.

As I look over the two years since entering college, my life has become a blur. A blur that I always thought would slow down when I moved out of my parents house; when I lived on my own for once; when I finally would become a man.

I never even noticed how far I had gone, so that made me question. Why do we take things for granted, why do I? Why do we take time, love, family, support or effort for granted? As I have been chasing after fame and glory of being involved so much on campus, it has led to everyone knowing me; but me.

Now let me ask you, the reader, what would you do for your life?

This is a question I have been wrestling with for the past few weeks. I have noticed time slowly slipping away with loved ones, noticing my actions wanting to care more about me than others, because that is what society teaches us correct? To take care of yourself before anyone else, to make sure you make it out of the pit first.

I am from Columbiana, AL, which means I am roughly three hours from the UNA campus, which is not an easy drive. The Sunday before this paper came out, I sat down to lunch with my parents and little brother. My parents had traveled up to Cullman for the day to spend a mere two hours with me, their son, that they missed.

My phone close to being dead, had been left in the car, so which means I could not hide behind a screen during conversations. This being a typical tactic for any family function I attend.

My family and I talked for hours it seemed like, from topics such as Alabama football all the way onto how my father bought a pound of shrimp. As my parents got up to leave, I was perplexed, I already miss them even when they were still in front of me.

Why did I feel this way? Maybe it was because I sat through many of the same kind of conversations before and only listened to what I had wanted to hear. Maybe it was me hiding behind my phone and ready to be my on my own.

So what do you do when you see your life slipping?

Not the job or career, not the girl or guy you want, not the materials that we long for, your life. The people that care about you slowly losing their life, or the love and kindness you had for others not being present in your life anymore?

I, myself, am still trying to figure this out, trying to find all the right ways to show people that I care and appreciate them. However, I have none of the answers, and most likely will not find them on my own.

However there is good news in all of this, start simple and let people know you care by professing it into their lives. One can never know what tomorrow holds, so if you knew everything you knew when you came into college, what would you do differently?

Is it that important to work endlessly for your job or career even though that takes time away from your family? Is it that important to become the most attention garnered person in your community?

So I will ask again… What would you do for your life?