DR. WALLACE: I'm just wrapping up my junior year in high school, and for the first time, I'm concerned about my summer. Every year it seems that I simply wander aimlessly through the summer and the next thing you know, it's time to return to school. I always promise myself to go out and look for a part-time job, to take some self-improvement classes, to go out and meet some new friends, yet I end up just repeating the same habits.

I sleep in late, play a few video games and generally hang out with the same one or two people that I hang out with at school. What can I do to break out of my funk and have a productive, or at least meaningful, summer? — My Default is Aimless Wandering, via email

MY DEFAULT IS AIMLESS WANDERING: Don't have a set of three or four goals all at once and think that you'll somehow magically begin moving towards implementing them all immediately. Instead, it's better to rank them and proceed with the most valuable one for your circumstances first.

If I were in your shoes, I'd focus on getting a decent part-time job as the first goal. Put all of your efforts and energy into that alone once the summer starts. Think about what types of jobs would be suitable for you, which ones would fit your skill sets and network as much as possible to get some introductions to local businesses that are hiring new employees.

If you stick with this and work hard, you should be able to land a part-time job within a matter of weeks. Once you do that, two excellent things will happen for you. First, you'll automatically meet a whole new set of people, which will change the paradigm of your previous solitude. Second, you'll be earning some money, which will allow you to participate in some activities in your community and not simply fight boredom with video games. Get out of the house and go do things! Go with your existing friends if you have a small budget plus you can also go on outings with some of your new colleagues at your new job.

Keeping busy in this manner may add some pace and structure to your summer, and therefore keep you motivated to get out of bed earlier in the morning to get going with your increasingly busy social schedule.

MY FATHER LOVES HIS MYSTEROUS MESSAGES

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 17-year-old guy and for the last month, my father has come up with a new saying. I should preface this by telling you that about every three or four months, my father will come up with a new saying or slogan, and he'll repeat it every day to my siblings and me, but especially to me. I'm the eldest, so he seems to make it his mission to drive everything home to me so I'll set an example.

Anyhow, his new saying is, "When you leave our castle, be sure you're wearing your armor." When I asked him if our castle meant our family home, he confirmed that was correct. But when I asked him about putting on my "armor," he simply said to me, "You'll figure it out." I've been thinking about this for days and I still have no clue. What in the world do you think he means by this? — My Father Enjoys Mystery, via email

MY FATHER ENJOYS MYSTERY: Your father is likely referring here to your integrity, your character or any of the other aspects of your life that he feels are important for you to carry with you when you head out into the outside world. Your father is mysterious, but I give him credit for being engaged and interactive with you and your siblings regarding his expectations and guidance.

Armor is typically something that, back in medieval times, Knights would wear when they went out in public in case an enemy Knight would cross their path and a battle would ensue. So, given the context of what your father has said, he's likely thinking of protection as in being smart, not hopping in a car with somebody who has been impaired or doing something outside your character. This would also be a way of saying to keep your guard up, don't get involved in underage drinking, never take a pill of an unknown origin at any time, ever. Basically, he's telling you to protect yourself and to think logically and seriously about doing so whenever you're out in the world on your own.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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