Even if 16-year-old Abby Sunderland had been lost at sea and died, neither she nor her parents would deserve to be denounced for her high-risk odyssey to sail around the world alone. Astonishingly, critics delivered wrathful recriminations when she was found alive in the Indian Ocean on her storm-battered craft, Wild Eyes, heaving in 30-foot waves.
"Irresponsible," was the most common word used by aghast adults in reacting to the California teen's hope of circumnavigating the globe by herself.
Nonsense. Abby Sunderland is a heroine of sorts in the world of adventurers and a model for other teens. Her parents should be examples for other parents for their confidence in their child.
While adults wring their hands about scandalous teen use of meth, high school dropouts and low scholastic achievement, youth crime and juvenile obesity, Abby Sunderland was pitting her mental and physical skills against perilous elements of nature at the helm of a 40-foot, 17-ton sailboat.
In four and a half months at sea, Abby dealt with not only demanding, complex meteorological and imponderable sea conditions, but navigated with GPS and other guidance systems, used wind-generated and solar power, engaged in global communications, mastered solo rigging of her sails and endured frightful storm conditions without panicking. Operating the elaborate, high-tech instrumentation aboard Wild Eyes required the acuity of a person far beyond her years. All this while alone, without companionship.
Most of the world's adult, professional mariners can't match this lone teenager's experience.
Abby's adventure was the hands-on equivalent of college or the work of a professional seaman.
American history is filled with adventures of men and women who left home early to see the world and acquire rich, maturing life experiences that made them standouts in whatever meek or mighty careers they followed. Many didn't attend college. My father lied about his age to enlist in the World War I Navy, making him a far better man and parent, in my estimation, to see through the terrible 1930s Depression with a young family.
My parents had enough faith in my common sense to allow me to learn to fly at 14, using savings from odd jobs, and thereafter renting airplanes to travel the countryside while younger than Abby Sunderland.
If American homes had more Abby Sunderlands, fewer young people would lead lackluster, pointless lives and the country would have a new stock of self-reliant citizens with wisdom honed on real experience, not from video games.
Would anyone be surprised to hear someday about Admiral Abby Sunderland?
