The internet took it from there: John Tapene began receiving emails from all around the world expressing thanks for the passage.

The words Tapene used, came originally, in 1959 from U.S. Judge Phillip Gilliam, which explains advice sounding somewhat dated.

The judge sought to address the teenager's common complaint, "There's nothing to do", and, "There's nowhere to go."

Succinctly and powerfully, Gilliam answered, "Get out there and do something!"

Here are Gilliam's words which Tapene quoted:

Always we hear the cry from teenagers, 'What can we do, where can we go?'

My answer is this: Go home, mow the lawn, wash the windows, learn to cook, build something, get a job, visit the sick, study your lessons, and after you've finished, read a book.

Your town doesn't owe you recreational facilities, and your parents don't owe you fun.

The world doesn't owe you a living, you owe the world something. You owe it your time, energy and talent so that no one will be at war, in poverty, or sick and lonely again.

In other words, grow up, stop being a cry baby, get out of your dream world and develop a backbone, not a wishbone.

Start behaving like a responsible person. You're important and you're needed.

It's too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday.

Someday is now and that somebody is you.

Whether you agree with them or not, these no-nonsense comments have attracted the attention of parents and young people alike!

And they're saying something to all of us today, too!

bstewart@ispdr.net.au