Personal Narrative Essay: Admitting A Mistake

Admitting a mistake is refusing to use other people as scapegoats to avoid responsibility, and instead, bravely accepting responsibility for each one of them. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time; it is in our nature. For most mistakes, there is always something positive to observe, though that only happens if you are willing to learn anything out of it. I made a lot of mistakes as a 12-year-old girl. I have no regrets since, without them, I would not be where or who I am today.

My greatest mistake was a lack of foresight. Middle school students may find the start of a new school year frightening. I didn't have any friends, so I decided to make my own for the first time. Everyone in middle school aspired to be cool, popular, and well-liked. So, I knew I needed to pick the greatest crowd to hang out with, but it turned out to be a huge mistake. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until they displayed some red flags that my conscience knew were telltale signs. I mean, these people with whom I spent time together had a poor reputation and poor manners. I told myself that I would never appear like this. Even though I spent time with these people. I continued to be persuaded by these people despite countless signals, even knowing what they did. I never imagined it would get to the point where I would be following them; I assumed I would be able to control my behavior, but I was mistaken. The lesson I have taken away from this is to listen to what your intuition is telling you. If you believe you are doing anything wrong or know it is terrible, you are right. 

Another mistake was not separating myself from negative influences and, as a result, continuing to decide to shoplift. It is bad to force someone to do something they do not want to do, and it is even worse to give in. It is difficult to see the bright side of things at the time. Most people are only concerned with what others think of them and how they will treat that person afterward, as well as whether they will refer to that person as a "scaredy cat" or "chicken." What is difficult to realize is that what other people think in the long run does not matter. Individuals can gain self-respect by doing what they feel is right, and as a result, others will respect them. One is exceedingly difficult to understand, but I am happy to report that I have mastered it and will never forget it. 

My fake acquaintances were taking advantage of me, and there was no way I could let that happen. As my mother always tells me, you must stand up for yourself, even in difficult situations like this, because you will face more difficult situations later in life, and you must know when to stand up for yourself. With all these warning signs, I have only myself to blame for my mistake in middle school. However, despite knowing that it would affect me, I chose to blend in with the wrong crowd. Loyal friends are those who are trustworthy and can be relied upon, not people who are a terrible influence and urge others to do the same. After realizing what I had gotten myself into for a few years, I eventually chose to move away for my good. Now that I think about it, being alone is not as terrifying as it used to be. Being in the crowd and still feeling lonely is terrifying. I honestly would not alter a thing if I could go back in time since there would be no social pressure, I would not learn anything, and would not end up where and who I am now. Even though I am a handful, I am a pre-adult with lovely friends that support me no matter what. Those that have good intentions and want to be there for me so that I may be myself and not someone else will always have my gratitude. I'll continue to learn new things as I get older, but for now, I'll just be myself and do the best I can.

Despite everything, I learned a valuable lesson by blending in with the wrong crowd. If I hadn't learned the difference between a good and a bad friend, I would not have grown into the person I am today. As a result, I'll always be grateful to my 12-year-old self for that.