Being the Youngest...

[Beavah]

Yah, I'm not sure quite what to think of this, eh?

 

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-abby-sunderland24-2010jan24,0,935990.story

 

On the one hand, I think it's OK for parents to encourage kids in their dreams. I also think we tend to mollycoddle kids in da U.S. a lot more than is necessary.

 

On the other hand, I don't much like da pressure all of this pressure to "be the youngest to ..." puts on kids and parents. That kind of pressure tends to get in the way of good judgment and make folks press on when they shouldn't. I note that she's leavin' awfully late on her voyage, but she "has" to go this year in order to be the "youngest" even though it may be prudent to wait a year since she missed da departure time this year.

 

Any sailors in the group want to comment?

 

Seems like it relates to Scoutin' too, eh? People who want their kid to be the "youngest" Eagle, da "youngest" to earn all the MBs (or just to earn all the MBs).

 

Beavah

 

[Eamonn]

I of course can't speak for other parents.

My kid is an only child and only children are supposed to be spoiled.

I don't know how you go about "Spoiling" a child? I don't think you can love, hold, kiss or spent too much time with your kids.

When he was a little fellow, I wanted him to do well. Of course him being an only child, I didn't have anything to look back on. I read a few books about parenting trying to make up for the fact that when he came there wasn't an instruction manual.

When he started school, just like my parents had done I studied his report cards, never missed a parent teacher conference. I was un-happy when the reports were not good, the grades were not the best and at one time one teacher had me almost convinced that my kid was running a good chance of being the next ax murderer.

There were times when I felt I was going to join him! I felt like getting my ax out and using it on the more than smug parents who had kids that never did anything wrong and got all A's.

Over time I came to see that there were things that he just wasn't good at. Worse still I found that I had to accept that he didn't share the same interests as I had. To be very honest that was hard on me and hurt.

While I did chastise him at times for being a lazy little toad and as he found interests that I didn't or just didn't understand, I found myself saying things like "As long as he is happy".

Still deep inside I was envious of the parents who had kids who were going to be the next great doctor or rocket scientist.

For years, no matter how bad things were I had put money aside to ensure that his college education was paid for and that he would never have the burden of carrying a large amount of debt. I was sad as I watched him try to get used to college. I just couldn't understand why I who had such a great time at college could have a son who just wasn't making it.

He dropped out of college and went on to take a EMT test which he passed.

Right now he is really happy working as an EMT with plans to become a paramedic or maybe a RN/ Paramedic.

He isn't earning that much money. In fact he is always broke.

But he is doing what he wants to do and enjoying it.

I come from a family where all of us really wanted to make our parents proud.

Dad had left Ireland with next to nothing and worked his tail off. While he of course provided us with a nice home and comfortable family life. Part of his drive came from the days when he first left Ireland and in England there were signs "No Irish Need Apply". He wanted to show everyone that the Irish were more than just a crowd of hard drinking Navies. His way of doing this was through his kids. We his kids wanted to do everything we could to please him and maybe in some way re-pay him for his hard work.

To this day I still remember the hurt look in his eye when I brought home a report card that didn't meet or live up to his expectations.

I don't know what motivates the young girl in this news article?

While I would as a parent be very worried about allowing my kid to take on something like this, my hope is that she is doing it because she wants to not to just be as good as her brother or to in some way please her parents.

Eamonn.

[le Voyageur]

 

 

Knowing the route this young lass will take in those Southern seas, I wish her all the luck in the world. Those storms in there has takened the lives of sailors with more years of experience then she has. It's a fool's dream, that's will end in one of two ways, death, or a rescue...

 

A youtube link on Drake's Passage

 

[WAKWIB]

I guess the parents must be comfortable about this kind of risk-taking. IMHO, the drive to simply set any kind of "the youngest..." record is a grab for fame. And probably short-lived at that. Someone else will come along to steal it eventually.

Maybe "the youngest female to circumnavigate the globe blindfolded"

[evmori]

Well she sure ain't mollycoddled!

 

Prayers for her on her journey.

[Beavah]

Yah, that didn't take long, eh?

 

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7251512

 

She had electrical power problems and had to stop before she'd gone a week?

 

Too bad she wasn't in Scouting, she would have learned to "be prepared" rather than rush a departure on a dangerous voyage in order to go record-seekin'.

 

Beavah

 

[HICO_Eagle]

Personally, I'd much rather be the oldest than the youngest but I won't judge someone who dares to challenge their limits as long as they are prepared to pay the consequences. On the other hand, I think her parents' judgment leaves something to be desired ...

[Scoutfish]

So if these parents had a son in scouting......do you suppose they'd convince him to go for Eagle rank while still a first year Webelos?

[Horizon]

The parents already had their 17 year old son do the run, so having the next in line go is not that big of a deal.

 

Beavah - perhaps she should have done a shakedown cruise to check the wind and solar charging systems, but then again she might have done that and the conditions are better. All she did was stop for an equipment change. She can still do the circumnavigation - but she loses the gold star for doing it without stopping on land.

 

I followed the story of the son, and will track the daughter's story as well. The Sunderland family has a yacht maintenance company - so I am confident that the gear is top notch. The ONLY issue is here is the risk for someone of that age.

 

We should celebrate this type of high adventure. I think that the founders of Scouting would love seeing young people going off on adventures with the right training and gear. This forum is full of people encouraging our Scouts to step up, take control and get out there. That is what the Sunderland kids are doing.

 

If you want to read about Zac's journey - it is here:

 

http://www.zacsunderland.com

 

 

[Beavah]

Yah, wonderin' what people are thinkin' now.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/10/national/main6568712.shtml

 

Young girl is missing at sea, with EPIRBs goin' off, 400 miles from da nearest boat, frantic parents trying to coerce the U.S. and other foreign governments into mounting a very expensive remote rescue operation to try to recover their daughter, the nearest vessels adding tens of thousands of dollars of costs and delays to their trips in order to render assistance.

 

Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

 

May God keep her, even where others may have failed her.

 

Beavah

 

[John-in-KC]

Amen.

 

 

[WAKWIB]

I just saw the recent headline about this on MSN dot com, and remembered this thread.

I Amen to the prayer as well.

[evmori]

They found her and she is OK.

[packsaddle]

Just heard that she has been found alive and well. From what I saw on the news, she is a very capable and prepared young woman and I hope she can complete her trip safely. Or if her boat is disabled I hope she is extracted and returned home safely.

I can't speak for her parents but there are two things for sure in my family:

1) I would be extremely cautious before I considered allowing my daughter to try something even a small fraction of this and,

2) I also know she'd never make me have to consider it in the first place...whew!