People in our generation have this cruel thought in their head that they need to make a choice between friends and keeping their sanity, their innocence, and mainly their pride. We feel that if we don't fit with certain people then we won't fit in with anyone. We get so focused on the process of finding where we fit in and belong most of the time we change ourselves in the process.

   Adults like to say that middle school and high school is where we change and find ourselves. For the most part that is true, but what they don't see is why we change. Why we let ourselves fall apart and become ashamed of who we are.  All it takes is to become friends with one single person who does drugs or drinks. Hanging out with them makes you feel like what they do is normal for your age.

   We sit through classes about sex education and drug prevention. They talk about what it does to us and the consequences but they don't say how to avoid it. Now as I see it, the consequences to drugs and alcohol that don't teach the most important. We make ourselves vulnerable to these things and don't even notice. It slowly tears apart your sanity and makes you lose yourself and it quickly tears apart your innocence. But most of all, it tears apart the pride you have in yourself.

     5 years old watch alcohol  tear apart my family. All it could take is a father drinking every night and not only did it destroy him but everyone around him. Never have I ever heard a story where doing drugs and alcohol helped and build relationships and a lifestyle. Pain is something that can year people apart and hurt so bad you wish it would all just stop. And knowing that so many people feel like because of that tears me apart.

Hundreds to thousands of families are torn apart monthly because of alcohol or drug abuse. Children are going into foster systems, Kids lose their parents, parents abuse children, teens are committing suicide, and sadness encircles people of all ages. Teens need to learn that they need to be themselves instead of what others want them to be. And people of all ages,young and old, need to learn that we need to look for the person you want to be and fight through the darkness and find the light. Because in all reality the question you need to focus on is what do you want me, "Friends who don't except you for you, or having pride in yourself and being proud of who you are"