Every day I read a devotional book called “Our Daily Bread”. Recently I came across an African fable about why the thumb is not so close to the other fingers. According to this story, the thumb and the other fingers lived on one hand. They were the best of friends until one day; they found a ring and wanted to take it.

The thumb said that it will be wrong to take the ring because it was stealing and he knew it was wrong. The other fingers called him a self- righteous coward and they refused to be friends with him. The thumb was fine with that. He said he wanted nothing to with their mischief. That is why the thumb is far away from the other four fingers.

Peer pressure is crawling around the wall. Its target is mostly kids. Let me tell you what I mean. Peer pressure is not comfortable at all. It push you feel when everyone is telling to do something when you know it is wrong. It is like when the four fingers were putting pressure on the thumb to take the ring. The thumb was smart and knew it was wrong to take the ring and refused.

These days it is hard for children to be like the thumb. It is hard for us to refuse peer pressure and the wrong. Most of us feel the pressure, but are sometime so afraid to say no as we may not look COOL.

There are many ways that you can fight peer pressure. These are like:

  • Saying NO to what you know is WRONG and walk away. Even if they call you names, do not worry after all you have your real name already.
  • TELL a teacher or your parent after you walk away. They will talk to the other kids.
  • Choose your FRIENDS carefully. Friends who do the right things will never push you into doing wrong things.
  • Be careful with BULLIES. Tell a teacher or your parents if anybody is bullying you. Bullies like pushing others in doing wrong things.
  • Remember that it is RIGHT to do the RIGHT things, and it is WRONG to do the WRONG things.

As Serena said in her blog “Good vs. Bad”, being right or wrong is a choice. I would not mind being like the thumb…..far away from others but RIGHT.

Angela-Acaye