Peer Pressure and Drinking Essay -- Peer Pressure Essays

High school is normally the time when teenagers begin to dabble in the world of alcohol – to discover their limits and develop habits and this experimentation carries over into college. That is the norm and its not a bad thing, but of course there are a few exceptions. In high school I never went to a single party, was never invited to one, and barely ever even heard about them. It was something that none of my close friends were a part of and the thought of drinking never really crossed my mind. I was so busy with my school work, my job, and the cross country team that I didn’t have much spare time, and when I did I wanted to relax and hang out with my friends. My parents raised me in the faith of the Catholic Church and this background gave me a strong moral base. I always laugh and I have fun doing the simplest things so it was easy for me to find activities to be a part of besides drinking. It was only the summer after high school graduation that I began to fe el peer pressured to drink and the fact that I am always sober started to make me feel a bit isolated. When high school began, none of my close friends had ever drunk alcohol or had any interest in it, but as years went by, more and more of them began to try alcohol. Drinking is a personal choice and I had no problem with them experimenting, but by the end of my senior year some of my friends began to try and convince me to try it myself. Everyone knew that I am conservative when it comes to that sort of thing and people joked about me going crazy once I got to college and was no longer governed by my parent’s strict rules. Unbeknownst to them, this kind of talk repeated over and over, though I always denied it, began to make me feel curious. However I couldn... ...ound. So I always try to make everyone feel included, although I am still one of the more quiet people in the world. Lastly, my parents have taught me to work hard for the rewards that I gain. This has always been a major driving factor in my desire to do well with my schoolwork and in sports. I know that if I work hard enough I can do well and if I don’t get the results I want, it is no one’s fault except my own. With regards to drinking, I know that my parents would have been disappointed in me if I made the decision to start drinking in high school. When I take into account all the wonderful lessons they have taught me and all the love they have given me, it never made sense to make them unnecessarily upset. As clichà © as these things sound, I honestly know that these morals have helped guide me through my life and helped me make the best decisions I could.