I can't be the only one who views my life through a movie camera lens. We all know the social media trends concerning "main character energy," with our memories and life stories being as complex and crazy as the teeny-bopper shows Netflix pops out every other month. With this idea of being the main character in your life, you have other cliche characters as well. The best friend, the love interest, and the villain -- all of these TV character tropes tend to actually exist in our lives. The only issue is that while I am the main character in my head, I could be the villain in another person's story.

This realization hit me quite abruptly in my second year of college. It was my first time officially living on campus since the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to stay home the previous year. Eager to meet more people, my best friend Haven and I struck up conversations with everyone we saw. Our strategy proved effective when we met our soon-to-be best pal in the residence hall laundry room— Carson. He lived on the floor above us, and our little group was formed. Unfortunately, relationships built among people are more complicated in college than I expected. Carson's girlfriend wasn't the biggest fan of her "boo" having two female friends hanging around. Obviously, I get it. Of course, there will be those voices in the back of your head. Personal history plays a factor, and who am I to try to fight that unbeatable battle? I can't and will never speak against another's insecurities. In this case, we're the villains in her story. I won't be able to change that; I have to accept it.

If I think back on the different "episodes" or "seasons" of my life, I have had numerous best friends, love interests, villains, etc. Flipping through old diaries, perhaps even old articles, one can accurately depict who was cast as who in my head. Mom has definitely been both a villain and a best friend. Some best friends have become villains, and the others simply extras. The entire situation triggered this whole concept and has changed the way I evaluate interpersonal relationships- we are all going to be someone's villain. Striving to be well-liked by everyone is simply not possible, especially not at the cost of sacrificing yourself.Our world is made beautiful by the different perspectives others can bring, and I would never want to change that, but we also have to accept that we won't be seen as the main character in someone else's life. The people you come across haven't binged watched the episodes of life. They won't understand who you are and what you want out of life. They won't know the complexities of your mind or how hard you try. But I am telling you it's okay because we are all in the same position. All in all, remember that your feelings are valid even if others don't agree.