Overcoming Peer Pressure
When I was sixteen years old, the feeling of becoming a man influenced me to make poor decisions for my future. I was at my sweet sixteen party having a great time with my friends and family. Little did I know that one of the most painful challenges of my life that would make me the man I am today lay not far ahead. My uncle wanted me to try my first beer on this very special occasion. I had never drank before and was not looking forward to. All I have been told for the vast majority of my life is to stay away from alcohol and drugs at all costs. So there I am with a beer in my hand with a dozen people waiting anxiously for me to take my first sip.
I gave in to the pressure. I am by no means proud of it, but the people wanted me to try it and so I did. As the first drops of the beer collided with my tongue, I immediately felt like a complete moron. The taste was absolutely awful. Here I was succumbing to peer pressure and for what? The most disgusting thing I had ever drank in my life? I learned in that instant I had made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. However, I can take away that I think beer is disgusting, therefore I will never drink it again from here on out. All in all, I was a complete idiot for giving in to peer pressure, but the overall result was that a beer bottle would never touch my lips again.
Another instance I recall to when I was involved with peer pressure was when I didn’t speak to this one kid because he was different. I am naturally a shy human being myself, so I could relate to why this guy was having trouble making friends. It didn’t take long for me to realize that pretty much everybody at the school didn’t talk to the guy or just made fun of him when they did. I was hanging with my friends in the courtyard, and the guy comes up and says hello to my friends and I. I wanted to say hello back, but my friends looked at me and rolled their eyes. I knew they wanted me to just keep my...