This week I was reminded of how wonderful our youth are.
Too often the good deeds and achievements of the young people in our community don't get enough praise and recognition.
I don't mean accolades in the paper, but rather just a pat on the back and a "well done".
Our television screens are often full of teenagers drinking, driving like maniacs and generally behaving badly.
What we need to remember is that this group is but a small portion of our youth.
The person who reminded me of this was a 19-year-old writer.
He's not local but I know Hawke's Bay has a wealth of talent out there - not just in the literacy world but also the sport and academic.
Ben Atkins is the writer I spoke to.
At 19, he has just published his first book - a book he started writing when he was 14.
Drowning City is an incredible achievement. When I read things like "Our city was draped in a wedding gown" (snowing) and "Glass teeth still stood upon the sill" (a broken window) I had to stop and remind myself that a 19-year-old had written this book.
The phrases may sound strange here but in context the reader knows immediately what he means.
Ben is just one of many young people throughout New Zealand who are working hard, achieving their goals and making a future for themselves.
'We suspect this was mainly because of large amounts of sea salt particles in the air.'