April Free Write

Richard P

Stuff I Learned About Myself This Year

          Did you ever look around you and see that you are kind of alone even among people you know?  Do you ever wonder why?  Is it the choices that you made? This year I learned that the choices I’ve made have separated me from my closest friends in some ways.  I have stayed in school, stayed out of juvenile court, and am able to have fun without getting into trouble.

          Staying in school has not been easy.  A lot of my closest friends have quit school.  They have jobs.  Some of their jobs are better than others.  Some of my closest friends quit school and got in trouble with the law.  They are not working good jobs because of the choices they made about quitting school.  There are a lot of opportunities you can have with a high school diploma.  You will miss them if you do not have one.

          I have never been to juvenile court, but I know people who have.  It is probably something I would not like to try.  It is the closest you can get to jail without actually going.  The only thing stopping you from actually going to jail is your age.  You can go to jail if you are under 18, but it depends on how your court hearing goes.  I found out that what you do when you are young impacts your life very strongly when you become an adult. You can’t get a job if you are a convicted felon or were in jail for most of your teenage years.  When you go for a job interview they will look at your record.  They will not want someone who has been in jail for their entire teenage life.

          I have learned that to have fun does not always mean getting into trouble.  School is a very important thing to have in life because it will impact your life very strongly. 

In conclusion, I have tried to make the right choices about staying in school and staying out of trouble.  It is not always easy, but it is the right thing to do.  I have to rethink getting into trouble almost every day.  So remember to make the right choices.  It will make your life a lot better.