yOU CAN DO AS MUCH AS YOU HAVE TO. STOP AND THINK HOW LUCKY YOU ARE TO LIVE IN A HOUSE, WITH A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. IN MANY SOCIETIES SOMEONE OF 16 IS THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD, ALREADY WITH ONE OR TWO CHILDREN TO CARE FOR. I WAS MARRIED AND A FATHER AT 18 AND QUIT COLLEGE. EVEN BEING BI-POLAR I RAISED MY FAMILY, STUDIED MUSIC AND MADE A GOOD LIVING AS A CLASSICAL MUSICIAN AND TEACHER. IT TOOK ME 14 YEARS TO GET THROUGH COLLEGE, AS I TOOK JUST ONE OR TWO CLASSES A YEAR MOSTLY AT NIGHT. I WOULD PRACTICE MY CELLO WHEN I GOT HOME FROM AN OFFICE JOB. I WOULD PLAY WEDDINGS ON WEEKENDS THE RELOATED WITH THREE CHILDREN TO WISCONSIN, FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA, MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA TO BE WITH BETTER ORCHESTRA'S AS I PROGRESSED. IT WAS VERY VERY HARD.

DON'T GIVE UP BEFORE YOU START, AND FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF WILL DO NO GOOD. YOUR FATHER IS RELYING ON YOU AS A PARTNER. THINK OF HOW HARD HE WORKS, FAILURE ON YOUR PART IS NOT AN OPTION, WHEN OTHERS NEED YOU DON'T GIVE UP. YOUR FRIENDS CAN COME TO VISIT YOU AT YOUR HOME INSTEAD OF THE MALL. TAKE TIME TO LEARN TO COOK, THERE ARE RECIPIES ON EVERY BOX OF FOOD. AT 16 YOU ARE A YOUNG ADULT AND HAVE RESPONSIBILITES. YOU ARE NOT BORN WITH THE RIGHT TO HANG OUT AT THE MALL, PUT OTHERS NEEDS BEFORE YOURS AND IF YOU QUIT NOW THINK HOW YOU WILL BE LETTING YOUR FATHER DOWN. FEEL SORRY FOR HIM NOT YOU. IF THIS SOUNDS TOUGH THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED TOUGH LOVE, I AM NOT SUGGESTING YOU DO SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT DO. I CRIED WHEN I HAD TO QUIT BEING A FULL TIME COLLEGE STUDENT BECAUSE MY GIRLFRIEND WAS PREGNANT. AT 18 JUST TWO YEARS OLDER THAN YOU I HAD MY OWN APARTMENT AND FAMILY. YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF.