Everyone has done something they regret, for example, not studying for a test, or staying up too late. There are many things on a day-to-day basis that I wish I hadn’t done. I’m about to tell you a story from a while ago that I still regret today.  

One day, I was over at my friend’s house. He had just finished creating a scooter obstacle course, and I watched him go down it. First, he ducked underneath the branches of a low hanging Pine tree that skimmed his helmetless head, then he ollied over sticks he had placed earlier. Finally, he reached the most nerve-racking part; there was a ramp at the bottom of a hill, he gained speed, flying downward, he reached the ramp. He managed to somehow hang on while getting over two feet of air. I was impressed. My friend ran to me panting, and telling me that I now had to go. I was at the start of the course, my heart beating fast and my brain contemplating whether or not to do it.

I thought to myself, “What if I get hurt?” But I didn’t want my friend to think I was scared. I was still deciding when a voice yelled, “Come on Max! Do it!”

   “I’m not sure if I want to.” I yelled back.

“Bawk bawk bawk.” My friend taunted, flapping his arms like a chicken. This is what made me decide to do it; I gave in to peer pressure even though I was worried I would get hurt. I started off, my legs wobbling as I approached the tree. Since I was not the best on a scooter, I did not have enough balance to duck under the tree. I decided not to duck, and I took a mouthful of pine needles. I was already off to a bad start, and I was determined not to be a chicken so I had to do better. Next came the ollies and to no surprise, I could not get the scooter to jump over the sticks and the wheel of the scooter caught on one of the sticks and sent me hurtling off my scooter. I received a little cut on my knee, but that was it. Finally, I realized that I was terrible at scootering and that I should quit before I really hurt myself on the ramp. As I brushed myself off, my ears were filled with the sound of my friend’s mocking laughter. “ Go off the ramp!” He exclaimed, and began to chant, “Ramp, ramp, ramp!” This is the decision that I heavily regret, and I wish I knew then not to give in to peer pressure and to tell my friend no.

Instead of saying no, I went up to the top of the hill with the ramp and started to soar down the hill. The wind collided with my face, and I felt as if I were going a hundred miles per hour. I could hear the sound of the wheels zooming across the ground, and I could still smell pine needles from my earlier clash with the tree. My adrenaline was pumping and just before I went up the ramp, I realized how big of a mistake I was about to make. I began my ascent to the top of the ramp, and then I went skyrocketing. I lost control of my scooter and I slammed hard against the ground on all fours. I was bleeding everywhere, from my knees and shins to my hands and arms.

I was in a tremendous amount of pain, and it was then that I realized I would not let others pressure me into something that was dangerous ever again. There is a fine line between getting out of one’s comfort zone and doing something that could be dangerous, and my decision was clearly dangerous. I paid the price for my poor decision to go off the ramp, having to deal with massive scabs and a lot more pain, but I learned from my mistake and I will never make that same choice again.