What would my friends do?

Topic: Right or Wrong?

How we view right or wrong is based on how our parents raised us, our peers, and our place in society. Anyone can say that they would do the "right" thing in a situation, but you are not one hundred percent correct until you are put into the situation. Most of us say that we have good morals and good values but peer pressure is a very strong thing.

I believe that we all have the ability to do the right thing at any given time. It's whether we choose to do the right thing that counts. Say, for example, all of your friends are smoking marijuana. You know that it's wrong and illegal, but you want to be a part of the "it" crowd, so you go ahead and do it. You feel good at the moment, but later on you may regret it and wish that you had never tried it. Friends have a huge impact on what we do and how we act. One second is all it takes for someone to see you and then it's all over.

Not everything that you make a decision on is so profound. It could be as simple as, "No, don't touch that stove, it's hot!" Well, when you are little, the words yes and no are not a very important part of your vocabulary. So you touch it anyway and you get burned. For some people it's once and they never go back, for others it may take a few more times getting burned before they finally get the point. Your parents tell you things for a reason. At the time, you may not think that they understand you or that they are telling you things just to make you mad, but they understand and are just looking out for your safety.

Once again, peer pressure is a part of everyone's daily life. It can be one friend or a group of friends. From personal experience, I have dealt with peer pressure all my life, like most of you have. One instance stands out the most though. I was 19 years old and about to move out on my own and go to college. I had picked a school that was about 6 hours away from my parents that most of my friends went to. I didn't pick it because of the great program or the good teachers or the amenities, like you do when you pick a school. I chose it because my friends were going there and they wanted me to come and 'go to school', a.k.a, party. Well, I went and ended up wasting a year of my life, mine and my parents money and not getting anything out of it. That was a major life decision that I let my friends make about my career. In turn, I am starting school over again when I should be finished.

In conclusion, the decision is up to you. You choose what is right or wrong in a situation and you act on it. Just be prepared for the consequences when you make the "wrong" decision.