I Was a Victim of Negative Peer Pressure

"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself." --Bruce Lee The summer would begin a transformation in my life, or should I say my life was going to take a different path. School was going to start soon and my sophomore term would be a disaster. My Friends during this summer would help me to learn what peer pressure really was all about.

My friends Jeff and Randy lived next door to me. Jeff was a tall dark haired boy who was a year older than I. Randy was similar in build as his brother, who was the same age as I was, and he had blonde hair that was very long. Jeff was different from his brother Randy. Jeff was a daredevil. He liked to take chances that were sometimes dangerous. Randy was more laid back, and easy going. Summertime in Indiana was the paramount of school vacation. I lived on an old country road, where fields of corn touched the blue sky. I loved watching the wheat fields on windy days, as the wheat would sway back and forth.

That summer Jeff introduced me to Tom, a friend who was from the city. Tom seemed to be a smart person, or at least he put that persona on. During that summer we would hang out over at Jeff’s house, and I would soon learn the meaning of the phrases; “getting high” or “having a buzz”. I thought this was the coolest thing to do. I had no idea that what we were doing was against the law, or that it was even bad for my health. During that summer I spent most of my free time with Jeff and Tom. Everywhere we went, we had to walk. Sometimes we would visit some of Tom’s friends in the city. We would spend hours there, and the days would seem to just fly by.

One day we had just finished visiting one of Tom’s...

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...mester, until the day I graduated, I gave my all. I enjoyed going to school. I made sure that everything that I started, that it was finished, and on time. I made sure everything was done right. My parents and teachers were surprised. When the day came for grades to be given my name was found among those on the honor roll.

Peer pressure had gotten me into trouble. I had failed to realize that negative peer pressure not only diminished my own character, but it was also the only reason for some of the most flawed choices of my life. Jeff and Randy moved away that fall, and I never saw them again. I had come to learn what peer pressure was all about, and how it could be used against me. Friendships should never hinge on what you can do for a friend. A friend will be there when you need them or when you don’t need them. Most of all, friends do not deceive one another.