Striving for positive pressures by Kenneth Diego
August 29th, 2007 . by Got Mikey
“Negative pressure knows no boundaries for it is always there. It leads us to the path of destruction. It binds us to bad influences which later we initiate them ourselves. As we strive for a positive view of life, trials pave way for us to handle tough decisions which may lead to our downfall or may lead to become a new person. In my life, I had been to many negative pressures and went to tough paths crossing the road of peer pressure.
When I was in my first year in high school, I was influenced by colleagues to start smoking. Days passed by and it turned into a bad habit. Whenever we had lunch at our tambayan which was the “Nipa Hut”, I would light one and just smoke even if I didn’t know how to smoke. I would puff in front of them as if trying to fit in the group. But this bad habit soon ended as my mother caught some tobacco bits in the pocket of my polo as I went home from school. Then she would interrogate me and I told lies just to cover up this bad habit saying that those were just peanut bits. But knowing that my mother is an expert in those things and as some people say, mothers knows best because of their “sixth sense”. She caught me in that instant and as my father knew about it, he got mad and I never did it again.
As we transferred to Bohol, I became oriented with the “Visayan-speaking clans”. Many events occurred which led me to many wrongdoings and negative pressures.
When I started as a sophomore at this school, bad start-ups where not far because when you are new in school, expect people to envy you and some who would be nice to you. Well’ in the first five weeks in school was a tough one. I heard that a group of male students wanted to have a piece of me because of my bag. Well I could say, at that time, this kind of bag fad was the most popular fad in town. Many would kill for this kind of bag. As I became aware of it, I used that bag as I entered school everyday. Well what I hoped for came one day when me and my friends got out of class to have recess, as we walked through the corridors, this tall and dark guy blocked our way with his friends looking at me, I was so terrified and rushed outside looking for my uncle and cried in front of him. Then he and his friends brought me back to the room and confronted that boy who was so desperate to kick me.
After that incident, no one ever dared to touch me. I guess it made me stronger at one point.
Another situation was when I introduced myself to opposite peers and met this beautiful girl who was then the muse of the freshmen. Everytime I see her, I would always greet her. But I wasn’t sure of myself because it was my first time to actually court a girl and because of what clearly entered in my mind was that this hottie was lined with suitors and I was just a newbie. But I still pursued myself to her and we became closer, we went out together with friends. One time while I was waiting for her, there was this another guy harassing my friend and so I told him to stop. He came near me and he said that he will wait for me after class. But I didn’t mind him because this beautiful girl arrived and went to me and just talk and laugh together.
As classes ended, me and a friend went out to grab merienda in a snakhaus. Just as we were about to leave the campus, two guys grabbed me side by side and we went to a vacant lot and there waited, this rejected suitor who wanted to have a duel with me. So without hesitation, I went to him and wanted to stop this nonsense and just talk to him. But because of desperation, he tried to give a punch but instead created a scratch on my face and I threw a punch over his left eye. Then a struggle aroused between us. The fight ended when this pastor picked us up. We shook our hands and ended this feud. The next day came and we had our scouting session, as classes ended, me and my friends went out to eat. This girl hurried to meet me because of the news she heard about a fight. She comforted me and even treated me for snacks. Then the rest of the days turned out to be a wonderful time.
As I reached my senior years, I was put to a test when I was suspended for a week because I was caught drunk by a teacher. It was my first time to drink alcoholic beverages. As we were suspended, we were divided into two groups. One group were to clean the corridors and the other were to clean the restrooms and all other rooms. It was an experience which I faced that marked a difference.
Peer pressure marks a difference in our lives. We react to situations and choose what’s weighed lightly.
When I was in my college years, these were the times when I began as an alcohol-drinker. I involved myself in fraternities and later into drug addiction. One mistake was that I never learned to say No to influences that came and it paved way for me to go to wrong direction than what I had hoped for. As I reflected upon past experiences that happened in my life. I realized that it hadn’t made me any greater person or a successful one. I lost the trust of my parents who were always there for me in hard times and in good times, guided me to life and growth, supported my dreams, gave me a better life which I deserved to have.
As I walk away from this bad yesterday, the chance I could only have now, to be better in life and to gain the trust and make my parents proud is to finish my studies. Give it to the fullest in days that I had wasted and leave bad memories behind, to regain my self-confidence and earn the love of my mom and dad.
What I learned is that God is always there for us and parents are the instruments for which they would make us better persons that we could be. Striving for positive pressure begins with obedience at home and learning to say No.”
