By: Stevan Austin
When my brother was 14 years old, he was charged for vandalism for a month. I was really sad when he was gone and during the first few weeks, I was very confused about the situation. I eventually calmed down after I found out he was coming back. At the time, I wondered why he broke the law and how he felt so I made myself ask him a lot of questions when he got home. I asked if anyone was mean to him or hurt him at the juvenile prison. My brother only told me that it wasn’t all that bad. However, I had a feeling it was a pretty bad environment.
I know my brother well so I’m sure he didn’t talk about the full story for a serious reason. Because of that, I decided to not ask too many questions anymore, but I still didn’t understand why he did what he did. Later on, my brother told me that there were mean people at the juvenile prison. He was sad there, and he even became involved in a few fights. He explained to me that he did what he did because he was negatively influenced by peer pressure. He also told me to find my real friends. His advice to me was that if I know that people are doing something wrong, I shouldn’t follow their poor example. Even if their negative activities may sound fun at first, in the long run I will have to suffer the consequences. My brother also advised me to stay in school. It can help me stay out of trouble as well as pave the road for a better life.
I know my brother well so I’m sure he didn’t talk about the full story for a serious reason. Because of that, I decided to not ask too many questions anymore, but I still didn’t understand why he did what he did. Later on, my brother told me that there were mean people at the juvenile prison. He was sad there, and he even became involved in a few fights. He explained to me that he did what he did because he was negatively influenced by peer pressure. He also told me to find my real friends. His advice to me was that if I know that people are doing something wrong, I shouldn’t follow their poor example. Even if their negative activities may sound fun at first, in the long run I will have to suffer the consequences. My brother also advised me to stay in school. It can help me stay out of trouble as well as pave the road for a better life.
I’m glad that my brother is back, but I will never forget the time he was away at the juvenile prison. Everyone was acting like they didn’t care about him. They told me that a month would go by quickly, but for me that one month was the longest time period of my life without my brother. Without my brother, I feel like I'm nothing. He basically told and taught me everything I know. If I didn’t have him, I would have probably dropped out of school. I might not have even been a part of the National Cathedral Scholars Program, which gave me the opportunity to start DCYJJ.
It was pretty hard for my brother because no one understood where he was coming from. I’ll never forget when he came back and told me that he looks up to me. At first, I was wondering how he could possibly look up to me when I’m shorter than him but then he explained. He told me how he was confused about how I can stay focused in school and not get wrapped up in any drama or chaos. I told him that I keep in mind that staying focused is what takes to succeed. Sometimes, it is good for an older person to listen to a younger person with respect because some young people are on the right track in life. In addition, a person can learn from anyone if they are willing to listen. When that happens, a person’s life can be changed for the better.
It was pretty hard for my brother because no one understood where he was coming from. I’ll never forget when he came back and told me that he looks up to me. At first, I was wondering how he could possibly look up to me when I’m shorter than him but then he explained. He told me how he was confused about how I can stay focused in school and not get wrapped up in any drama or chaos. I told him that I keep in mind that staying focused is what takes to succeed. Sometimes, it is good for an older person to listen to a younger person with respect because some young people are on the right track in life. In addition, a person can learn from anyone if they are willing to listen. When that happens, a person’s life can be changed for the better.
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