This week I was touched by a young reader and felt her voice needed to be heard.

Tamara is her name and her message is one that will help me understand more about Generation Y (generation youth).

She is 16-years-old and still at high school in Bermuda and has a great understanding of what she wants and wants the best for people around her.

She played soccer, basketball and netball, but due to interest changes she has been driven away from playing sports. Here she speaks to you this week.

Mr Bascome when telling me that I would be highlighted in your column I was shocked because I'm not into sports like I was before, but I do follow it a great deal. I figured that you would choose to put someone in that may have taken a greater interest in sports and has used it to move forward.

I would start off by telling you and your readers that I do read the columns each week and stick them on my wall. The one column that touched me the most was posted two weeks ago about the young boy who lives in Maryland and his friend that killed his own mother over having bad grades.

This had an effect on me because it reminded me of losing someone special and how losing that person hurt me a great deal.

It made me feel like the world was coming to an end, I remember telling him before his tragic accident "be careful" but never knew those words would stick with me for the rest of my life. He was my uncle and meant the world to me.

Mr. Bascome I know that you are trying to help out my generation, so I want to share with you about how things look from my eyes being a teenager I am living it every day, as the world calls us Generation Y (generation youth).

Parents (to my generation), I know some times we walk around like we know it all and you get afraid we may fall short of what you may want from us.

I have talked with many of my friends and we sometimes need you to listen more.

Do not look to blame us every time, do not look to blame us for your faults and shortcomings as we do understand and need you to trust us.

We sometimes will have to find our way through our own mistakes, though some may be very hard.

We may not be the golden child you may have expected us to be, but we are yours and want you to get involved in our lives more. We do fight you over stupid things and are spoiled at times, but remember we are your mould, we follow your footsteps. We do at times need to be straightened out but believe me we would test you every chance we get.

We do listen to what you tell us, but are finding it hard out here with our peers; we have surrounded ourselves around idle minds.

Some of you are not home when we get there due to working and making ends meet, so we tend to stray and this we have to change.

Generation Y, we need to change how we think, we need to get out and try harder, we need to understand that we are alive and must come together. I have seen us fight for no reason at all.

I have seen us divide through violence and fear. We are the new generation and are about to lose the battle for unity.

I ask us all to be more positive and fight for changing our ways not breaking us apart. Lets get involved more in positive programmes and positive people.

If there is one person in the world that had driven me that is Rosa Parks.

Rosa Parks stood for what she believed is right, her sacrifice and courage to change the mindset of many was astounding. If she could make this sacrifice in those times why can't we now.

My last message is to my friend who is close to me, who means more to me than she may think. I am reaching out to you because I love you, I do not want to lose you through your battle, I fear that one day you would not be there for me, so please reach out and get the help that is needed. I do not know what I would do with out you in my life. You are special to me.

Mr Bascome, I know this is not a lot about sports, but I would like to say I never would have dreamed that I would have a voice in the newspaper, never did I think my thoughts on my generation would be of any interest to you.

I thank you once again and encourage my peers to tell their story as well.

Tamara thank you for your thoughts and voice this week. I wish you all the best and hope that your voice helps others. Until next time!