DR. WALLACE: I'm a teenager, and I can already say that I've tried alcohol and a few recreational drugs with a few of my closest friends. But you'll be happy to hear that I'm not doing alcohol or drugs now at all.

The reason for this is that I got into a car accident after I did some drugs, and I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't do any mind-altering substance of any kind anymore. And from that day to this day, I haven't.

The problem is my dad doesn't believe me! He always accuses me of being drunk or on drugs, and I'm truly not. My dad threatens to take me to get tested for drugs or alcohol, but then he always changes his mind and doesn't do it. It seems like he wants to berate me with threats, but then he always cools off and does not follow through.

I just want my dad to believe me that I'm not doing drugs or drinking alcohol. And believe it or not, even though many of my friends smoke marijuana, I won't even take one puff of that either. I just have a really deep desire to stay in control of my mind and body at all times.

How can I get my dad to believe me without arguing with him? He's a pretty good dad on all other issues, with the exception of this one. — Learned From My Mistake, via email

LEARNED FROM MY MISTAKE: It's going to take time to rebuild your father's trust for sure, but you're well on your way. My suggestion is to be proactive with your sobriety. By that I mean you should engage your father whenever you see him and sit down right next to him, close enough so he can see your eyes clearly and close enough so that he'll know you don't have alcohol on your breath.

Also tell him what you've told me here! Tell him all about your deep desire to always be in control of your body and mind.

Finally, show him your letter here, especially how you signed it. "Learned from my mistake" certainly says it all in my book. I feel that once your father comes to understand and appreciate the changes you've made, he will be very proud of you going forward.

EACH HIGH SCHOOL HAS ONLY ONE BAND DIRECTOR

DR. WALLACE: I'm now in the 12th grade, and our school just reopened a few weeks ago after being closed because of the COVID-19 virus situation. I love music and plan to attend the University of Illinois to major in education with an emphasis on music.

The reason for this is because I want my career to be teaching high school music and to be the marching band director at a great school.

Can you provide any advice that might help me make my goals a reality someday soon? — Musically Inclined, via email

MUSICALLY INCLINED: Based on what you've told me, I'd suggest that you make sure you give yourself an extra measure of security by majoring in music with a minor in English. It can never hurt to have the flexibility of a dual proficiency.

Don't forget that high schools have many teachers but only one band director, so be prepared to become a high school teacher first. Then your path to eventually becoming a band director can still be on the radar for you. Basically, I'm advising you to aggressively pursue your musical passion, but don't make it an "all or nothing" situation, especially as a college graduate just starting out in the educational field. Your dream job is a highly competitive position that might take time to achieve. Fortunately, it appears you have both the passion and expertise to be a great candidate for that type of job. Good luck!

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 rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. 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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