Peer Pressure

We all come under peer pressure from time to time, at school, at work and even in our social lives.

So what is peer pressure? It something that makes us do something or believe something even if inside we don't quite feel its right. Or acting in a curtain way even though we don't really truly like acting that way.

Being a young boy brought up in the Salvation Army my up bringing was maybe a little different to most. I remember sitting on the beach with the Salvation Army playing in the band. When we saw school mates walking by with ice creams we couldn't help wonder if our families where a little strange.

I remember one Sunday we has to hold the beach meeting a little further along the promenade close to the pier. We set up right out side a pub and started our usual music and songs.

As we started I couldn't help but notice a group of guys had ventured out side with their pints. As the music started these guys started to get a bit rowdy.

I was only about 11 or 12 (If that) and would admit I was a little frightened as I stood and played with the band.

At one point as the group seemed to get more and more louder I turned and spotted one guy who was brought up in the Salvation Army, standing with this group and mocking the band. His family where standing in uniform with us and he was standing with a pint shouting at us and mocking.

Peer pressure that day had meant one guy had maybe turned on his family, such is the power of peer pressure he had joined in with the group of drinkers to shout against his up bringing.

Now I must say the guy I'm talking about is a top bloke, and part of my extended church family so I am in no way suggesting this makes him bad.

I leant that day that peer pressure is something that gets us all. But we all have the power to over cone it. Sure I can be mocked, I can be moaned at and I will get critics, but isn't doing what you believe right the thing that makes you greater.

If I felt this blogging lark was wrong I wouldn't do it. If I thought for any minute god didn't want the best for me and my family I wouldn't be sharing it, and if for one minuet I thought the bible was nothing but a book of stories I would read it.

Peer pressure is real as people throughout history have fallen to it, but if we can beat it the better person we become.