De Parte de Maestro
By Josh Flores

Dime con quien andas…
One of the greatest influences in a young person’s life is peers. Peer influence can be positive or negative in determining the direction in which ones life is headed. 

There is a phrase in Spanish that reflects this sentiment, ‘Dime con quien andas y te diré quien eres,’ which essentially means: ‘Tell me who you walk with and I will tell you who you are.’ 

These wise words should be taken to heart by all, but particularly by young people.  The reason I say it is crucial for young people to reflect upon this saying is because you have your entire life ahead of you and the decisions you make now will greatly affect what kind of life you live in the future. 

However, be smart—generally teenage love does not last and I know that may seem devastating now but it is often true.  I am not saying that young people cannot love, but the reality is, many adults don’t have the love-game thing down either, so don’t worry.  Bottom line is, to get to know a person before you truly invest your energy into dating—you have the rest of your life to date if you so choose.

So how do you really know if someone you are hanging with will be a good or negative influence? 

Here are some simple questions that you can ask yourself about the people around you.  Does he or she have similar goals for their future?  For example, do they plan to go to college?  When I am around this person do I find myself in situations I really don’t want to be in?  Is the friendship give and take? Essentially, does your friend bring the same support and loyalty to the table that you do? 

There are a few things worse than a one-sided ‘friendship’ because it usually means somebody is getting used.  Have you been betrayed by this friend?  There are lots of forms of betrayal, but, generally, someone who betrays you once will find it easier to do it again if you are still around after the first time. 

It is difficult to determine which friendships will last a lifetime.  I have been blessed to have an incredible group of friends in my life. Many of them I did not meet until I was an adult; however, there are a few that have lasted since my childhood. 

It is important that I point out that for the hand full of people in this world that I can actually call my friend, I have seen dozens of my ‘friends’ pass in and out of my life.  So what has separated the ‘true-friends’ from the ‘passing-through’ friend?  When you are in your darkest moment and feel like you are down and alone, a friend will always be by your side no matter what. Remember that!