i'm not a pussy

On a crowded night somewhere in the middle of Jakarta, I and four of my buddies were having a really good time. We joked, we laughed, and we shared some stories together. One of my friends, whom I just met, offered me a cigarette and a lighter. "It's really good, you should try it", he said. "No, thanks, I'm good", I replied. I could see the look on his face that he was unhappy to hear my response, and blurted What the fuck! Since when did you become a sissy?! Is it now the time for you to work, eh?

Since junior high school, I can't remember how many times I was offered cigarettes and being ridiculed if I rejected the bids. Even a couple of my girlfriends said that I wasn't manly enough if I didn't smoke. Well, it didn't always happen, some of my friends could understand and respect my decision, but some others couldn't accept that. Is it wrong if I don't want to smoke?! The same treatment happened if I refused to drink (alcohol) or when I didn't want to do free sex. They always called me such a pussy, what a goody-goody boy or such a mama's boy. 

I think today's temptation to do such things is stronger than ever. I once read a magazine and it said that we, teenagers may understand that risky behaviors like smoking and casual sex can bring consequences. however, adolescents tend to be more concerned with pleasure than the consequences. I have to agree with the magazine's quote, it's true that it's so hard to fight the temptation although I know about the consequences.  But no matter how strong the temptation would be, I have to fight it for my own good, because I know that such risky behaviors would bring nothing good on me and it would be hard to release myself from the bad habits once I stuck in it. 

I used to say nothing or act if I was cool when my friends ridiculed me, but today I would say: In just seconds I could be like you (smoking, drinking, or having free sex), but in years, or maybe until you die, you couldn't be like me (free from smoking side-effects, free from drinking and free sex effects/consequences).  And I'm not a pussy, I may be even manlier than you because I'm strong enough to fight those risky behaviors. 
I'm not saying I don't like smokers, I'm fine with them, I just don't like that some of them don't respect my decision, that's all. I think we are free to do anything we want (with limits of course), just like smoking or not smoking. So I don't think we need to bash others.