Gray Area

Does anyone really know the difference between right and wrong? So many people have their own opinions about the decisions that others make. Laws tell us which actions are legal and illegal, but are we in a position where we can judge the actions of another when they are doing the best they can? Everyone makes mistakes. I have made plenty of mistakes and because of that, I am a different person that I used to be. I strongly believe that people should have the right to decide what is right or wrong for themselves. The morals and opinions that I have may be different than another person’s, but that doesn’t make one of us wrong. This world is too complex for something to be described with an adjective so permanent and defining. I believe that some things are neither right nor wrong, but somewhere in between.

The summer of 2013 was a very confusing time for me. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of a year and a half, and I was completely lost. He was my first serious relationship. I was devastated, but it was something I needed to do for myself. I needed to go out on my own and figure out who I was, what I wanted, and who I aspired to be. I couldn’t do any of that when I was trapped in his tightly bound arms. For the first month, I felt like I was free and could do anything I wanted, which caused some bad behavior. I started messing around with boys, lying to my mom, and sneaking around. I thought what I was doing was perfectly fine because I needed to go through some rough patches and make my own mistakes. My mom told me that everything I was doing was wrong. I felt so scared and alone. I started to realize that maybe I shouldn’t be doing all of these things.

Because of this, I have learned to respect myself and that boys should respect me as well. Even though I went through all of that, I am still trying to find myself. Without that summer, I could be a completely different person than I am now. It could be perceived that these actions were wrong and that I never should’ve done them, but I think they were necessary for me to learn from. I don’t regret any decisions I have made because I have learned from them and they have made me who I am today. Everyone needs a gray area in their life because they should make decisions that are right for them even though they may be controversial to others.