Peer group pressure! It is a big factor in a youngster's life. this proved to be especially true when I was 12 years old. I had just started at a senior school in my home town of Windsor and I was eager to make an impression on new friends.
One of those friends, Alan, invited me over to his house for some fun. When I told him I was hungry, he suggested we went to the shops and got some sweets, but neither of us had any money. But that was no problem. 'We'll just steal them', Alan said. I had some qualms about this, my parents being good, church-going people, and being aware of what God thought of stealing. But my protest soon ended when I realised that Alan's estimate of me was plummeting rapidly, and that if I was not careful, I would quickly be labelled a coward at school. Quite soon we were coming out of the shop with pockets bulging with sweets and books we had stolen.
'Do Windsor'
From there things just snowballed. I turned from one who had been tempted, to one who went around tempting others to do the same. Soon we were organising 'nicking sprees', going into town during our lunch break to 'do Windsor'. It was a matter of pride as to who could steal the most. As time went on, there was one incident with the police, when I was involved in breaking and entering. I suddenly realised the position I was in, and was scared of being convicted. I prayed to God to get me out of it, promising to read the Bible every day if he did. I did get off, but, of course, I forgot all about my promise to God.
