Several teenagers went to the local bridge at Moulton Falls, just outside their hometown of Vancouver, Washington. Some teenagers choose to jump off the 60 foot bridge into the water below. On this August day, several of her friends had already jumped. Jordan Holgerson stood on the exposed edge of the bridge. She was caught between wanting to jump and being too afraid to jump. One of her best friends, Taylor Smith, was standing behind her “egging” her on. “Jordan, I’m going to push you…Go…Go…Go…3, 2, 1…Stop Talking!” And then Taylor shoved Jordan. Jordan was not expecting this shove. Jordan’s body was headed toward the water, vertically. She slammed into the water. She broke 5 ribs and punctured both lungs. She was bruised from head to toe. She couldn’t breathe or move. Her friends immediately pulled her out of the water. Jordan survived.

Joe’s Perspective: This is a tough video to watch, but so necessary for teenagers to view. It’s really a metaphor for so many things that will happen in your life. Taylor was interviewed after the incident, and she said, “I didn’t think about the consequences.” It appears that Taylor simply new what was best for her friend. She knew Jordan was just being a wimp. She just grew impatient and took matters into her own hands. After all, it’s all in good fun, right?

We all need to consider the consequences before-hand. Granted, we are not all standing 60 feet over water, but the consequences can be just as severe. When driving down a two lane road, friends yell, “Pass him, come one pass him.” At a party, a friend might encourage you to try a drug. At school, friends might encourage you to provide them with answers to a test you just completed. Someday when you are drinking age, a friend might tell you it’s okay to drive after consuming several drinks.  I can remember stories of people dying on their 21st birthday because their “friends” line up 21 shots of alcohol.

Growing up is hard enough. You will make poor choices from time to time. You can’t avoid these errors in judgment. It’s part of growing up and it’s a part of life. However, my message to you is, you get to decide. You make the decision. You are the one in charge of you. You don’t need friends who “egg” you on or encourage you to make poor choices. And, you certainly don’t need friends who take the decisions out of your hands. True friends look out for you and keep you out of harms way. Please be a good friend and always think about the consequences.  End of lesson.

Your Turn: After watching this video and hearing this story, what life lesson(s) do you take away?