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“In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends,” a quote that my mother would tell me a lot.

My best friend in high school had a completely different personality than I did. He was popular, outgoing, and fun; where I was shy, reserved and quiet. Despite our differences he was indeed my closest friend. This boy, Matthew Cooks, had a huge impact on my social expansion. He helped transform me from a timid maggot to the social butterfly that I am today. He introduced me to a whole new world of popularity when no one else would even look at me. Eventually, all that popularity would soon lead to trouble.
Matthew was a strong, smart and talented guy and all the girls were crazy about him. He was a very popular person around the school yard. As years past, Matthew changed swiftly. The attention he received from people would cloud his judgment; and make him do things I wasn’t ready for. Matthew began smoking weed and do other detrimental drugs that lead to destruction. Day after day in 9th grade he ranted on about how the drugs get you “high” and how it makes you feel peaceful and that I should try some with him. As a aware young man, I know the dangers of drugs and just said no to him. He called me a wimp and said that I wasn’t cool enough to hang with him anymore. Just like that my closest friend was out of my life. My decision to abstain from drugs and other bad activities was the right one and I will never regret it. Yes, I lost my best friend but I retained my morals and my self respect. If I had chosen to do drugs when Matthew did, I know that my life would not be quite the same. I thank him for teaching me that life is something that should be valued and that the decisions that we make in our past are those that guide us down the path of success or failure.
Today I can say that I am proud of my achievements. I Won Scholar Athlete award in 2008 for having the perfect balance of being a...