In toady's economic climate, a teenager may go to the mall and see many things that he or she cannot afford. What do you do? Some kids may resort to stealing.

I'm not writing this to give you the facts. I'm writitng this because today, I tried it, and I regret it more than anything else in my life.

I was at the mall with my friend when I saw this keychain that I wanted that was by no means expensive.

I really didn't know this friend that well. He was a year older than me, a freshman in high school. I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I was trying to impress him. I'm not sure.

Anyway, I tore the tag off the keychain and put it in my pocket. I was caught. The sales associate told me to get out of her store and to never come back again.

The rest of the time at the mall, I had this sinking feeling in my gut. What had I done? I felt like I had completly ruined my life.

I was not upset that I got caught. Actually, I'm glad that I was caught. Who knows what my life would be like if I had gotten away? Would I have stolen again? Would it be the start of drinking, drugs, and other felonies?

After the incident, I felt like I was going to puke. I'm normally a good kid, and when a good kid does somthing bad, they are completly lost. Not lost as in they are screwed for good, I mean mentally, as in they have no idea what direction they want to go in, and what direction they should go in.

I know now the relationship between the direction I want, and the right direction. They are the same road.

I'm writing this article for the same reason I called up the store and apologized- to get it off my chest. However, that isn't the only reason. I want each and every person who reads this to never, ever do anything like what I have done. Never steal, like me. Never drink, or do drugs, like I might have if I had gotten away.

Always choose the right choice. That doesn't mean ratting out every trouble maker on the planet and making enemies. Have courage, and tell them to try to resist the urge. To resist the impulse. Thell them to find better ways. Instead of taking drugs to get high, tell them to find their own natural high, like sports, fine arts, or technology. Instead of stealing, try asking for a discount or layaway.

Tell them to find their ambition, and to shed away all things holding them back from finding it. Everything applies to you, too.

Nothing good ever happens from doing bad things. All you will get is caught, or worse, put onto a track for a terrible life.

Remember what I said. Thank you.