I’ve seen a lot of stuff about kids sailing solo around the world or flying great distances in airplanes without adult supervision. I’ve also noticed that a lot have had to be rescued. There was some stuff on CNN about it and there were a lot of experts that were against it. There was some talk about the parent’s responsibility to the safety of the kids and that there should be laws against this type of activity with kids that young. I know that I don’t have the answers but I have an opinion. And as it happens, I have Kieran’s opinion. I found something he wrote about this. So I thought I would write a blog and include his thoughts as well.
For me, I don’t have a problem with it. I think most parents have more than enough information to understand the risks to their children without our politicians getting involved. In every case, the family involved had put year into this activity and the kids were well trained. I’m not saying that every parent is capable of this but for the most part, parents will do the right thing for their children. As opposed to these so-called experts, that talk about kids in generalities and are usually pushing a book or something when they are talking on any subject.
The kids that attempt this stuff are usually very capable and are more mature than most kids their ages. They usually have extensive training and have the background for it. It’s not something new to them. But for the rest of the world where parents can’t allow their kids to be out of their eyesight for 20 minutes (this applied to my parents), this would be dangerous. These are parents that for the most part, raise kids that are ill equipped to function in the world because they never have any responsibility. The kids have no freedom to learn and usually spend most of their free time in front of a TV or video game. There are actually parents that use childhood to prepare their kids for life.
I’m not saying that some of these things are not dangerous, but what in life isn’t dangerous. Being alive is dangerous. Everything is dangerous. But what most people miss in this is that there are people that raise their children to be self-reliant strong persons able to deal with hardships. They raise their children to be outgoing and to live life to the fullest. These kids are alive. They work, study, learn, and know what they are doing but they are getting everything out of life that they can. They are not sitting on the couch waiting to die.
These attempts to sail around the world are not something that is done on a whim. They are extensively planned and have safety measures set up for emergencies. I know that every emergency cannot be anticipated but they can be mitigated. And because the kids have been involved in this for years, it’s something that can be less dangerous than riding a bike on neighborhood streets. So for me, if the kid has the right training, the right support, and the right parents: I don’t see why anyone has a standing to say anything about it.
(Kieran)
If I have any kids, they will be allowed to do anything as long as they show they are mature enough to do them. I’ll raise them like my parents raised me. Me, my sister, and brother were never allowed to watch tv till 8 pm except for special occasions. Me and my brother was almost never in the house. I spent almost all of my day light hours in childhood playing ball, going on hikes into the woods, riding 4wheelers or dirt bikes to the river to swim or just riding trails, or working for whoever needed some help. When I was 11-12 years old, my parents let me go camping by my self for a weekend for the first time. Since then, I've gone a lot. Matter of fact, I just got back from 3 days and nights camping out on the river by myself. It was great. My parents made it so any extra money we needed, we had to earn it ourselves. So we were always responsible with money because we had worked for it. We are capable to make decisions for ourselves because we were raised like that.
Yesterday there was a story on the news and in the newspapers about a kid who became the youngest to sail around the world. There was a lot of bad comments about this, mostly about his parents. There was some loudmouth on tv that said it shouldn’t be allowed to happen. He said that no kid at 15 has the knowledge and skill that is required if there had been a major storm or a mechanical failure. I thought it was funny that this guy was saying this after the kid had done it and he showed he had the knowledge and skill that was required. LOL. I asked my dad if he would have let any of us do something like that if we had the background and the knowledge to do it. He said that he would have let me and my sis do it because he thought we had the strength and mental toughness to do it. He said that he wouldn’t have let William do it because of his lack of follow thru and he just wasn’t strong enough mentally. But (with my dad there is always a but it seems), there would have been a lot of years before something like that would have been attempted because it’s not something you go into halfassed. He said that he’s never held us back from anything because of what anybody else thought, and I agree with what he said. He said that a lot of people only see the worst in kids or the lack of follow thru. Most people say that kids today just sit around the house playing video games, talking on their cell phones, on the computer, and watching tv. A lot of them do but it's not all kids, there are plenty of adults do this too. With this I completely agree with dad. Maybe it’s true of some but it’s a bad generalization to say this of all kids because I have only played a computer game maybe 10 times in my life, I just don't have time for that stuff. Almost the only tv I watch is sports. During the school term, I usually work till dark everyday (I live on a farm now). If I work away from the farm, then I still have to come home and do my work on the farm.
I don’t know if it’s right for every kid to do what ever he/she wants to do but for certain kids that have shown they can do these things, they should be allowed to do them. As with every thing in life, it’s up to the individual. Banning a group of people for any reason (including age) is just wrong. But maybe it's just example of age discrimination and the underlying fear of youth by adults. It seems every generation, the biggest threat of the adult world is from the youth of the world. LOL.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sailing Along In Texas
I haven't been on much lately and trying to put together any of Kieran's journal entries is a pain. But I think I am through them now. I don't think there are anymore entries that are like this in his journals or in his on-line stashes. If I find anymore, I will post them. This was dated April 05/Jan 06.
I went with my dad on a trip a few years ago during spring break. It was one of those trips that he wanted to talk to me about some things. I had gotten into trouble at school a couple of times and I had a couple of bad grades in class. I also got into a fight with William over something stupid. So dad decided that I needed to go with him on this trip for an attitude adjustment (it was probably mom's idea). We drove all over Texas over 5 days and nights. So we had a lot of time to talk.
And the talking started about 5 miles down the road. He laid into me about what was expected of me and what was not expected of me. He really laid down the law as much as he could. This area is more my mom’s job. But I got the message. It only took about 30 miles and he was thru with his “laying down the law” part. So we had the next 5 days and nights to talk about other stuff. This is one of those great memories that I will have with me forever. I found out so much about my dad during those 5 days. The conversations went into things that he never talks about, with me anyway.
About noon, we stopped to eat somewhere close to the La/Tx state line. While we were in the restaurant, he said something about a woman at one of the other tables. I asked him who she was and he told me she was just a woman that looks like a girlfriend of his when he was in high school. He told me that he was ready to marry her as soon as they graduated from high school. I didn’t know about her at all. He told me a lot about her, things I guess most kids don’t hear about from their dads. But it was cool. They dated for like 2 years and really loved each other he said. They broke up during his jr. year because she didn’t want to become a military wife that had to follow her husband around all over the world. So my dad met my mom later that year and they got married instead.
He didn't talk about anything major the rest of the way to Tyler, Tx. We spent the night there cause he had a business meeting the next morning. After his meeting, we started for Houston and he started talking to me about what I planned to do after high school and college. What was I going to study in college? What were my plans for the future? Blah blah blah..... I told him that I really didn’t have a plan. I had some things that I was interested in but at that moment, I still hadn’t made up my mind. Then I asked him how did he go about that when he was my age? What were his plans at 12/13 years old? He told me that he was really into racing motorcycles at a track close to where he lived. He was also hanging around this guys garage that raced stock cars around the area, learning how to work on cars and to listen to the guys in there talk racing. He said that the next year, he had to start working on the farm more and didn’t have time to do that any more. He said then he wanted to join the forestry service and work in places like Yellowstone or The Grand Canyon Park. He also wanted to have a horse ranch out west. He’s always wanted horses. Then when he was 16, he decided that he would join the military so he would be able to go to college (either to be a veterinarian or get a business degree). When he broke up with his girl friend, he then planned to join up and make it his career. Then he met my mom and things changed again. And before he was out of the Army, William was born, so that put a big crimp in his plans for a career in the military. We talked a lot about the Army and college the rest of the day. It was an interesting day. I got to hear about my dad’s dreams and disappointments. But he wasn’t bitter or down about it, he was kinda happy telling me this stuff. It was probably the first time I realized my dad was 12 years old once upon a time. LOL.
When we got to Houston, we went to his buddy Dale’s house. It was awesome there. I really had a good time. He had a pool and that was great. And another thing was the next day; we went sailing on Dale’s sailboat in the Gulf. That was super cool. Dad had 2 meetings to go to but for the most part, it was just a vacation. I even tried to surf. LOL. I'm a huge dork cause I couldn't even get 20 yards from the beach on that thing to start with. The waves just pushed me in. Then when I did get out, I couldn't get up on it. I almost drank the gulf dry trying. When I finally got up but I had to have looked like the biggest loser on the planet. And to make it even worse, Texas doesn't have huge waves so it should have been easier for me to get up. I think I will leave surfing to people that can look cool riding a board on a wave cause I will never look cool doing it.
On the ride home, he got serious again. I think he was worried about the stuff he told me, and that I would take it wrong or not understand it. And he really wanted me to get his point about decisions. He kept at me, talking about making decisions and making the right decisions. He told me that as an adult, you have to make decisions about life everyday. But that Life decisions are the big ones. Those are decisions that shape where you go in life: marriage, college, work, family, etc. He told me that with a life decision, you should never regret those decisions. They should be decisions made with a lot of thought and if possible, imput from the people that you trust; your family and friends. When you make one of those decisions, you have nothing to regret because you have made the right decision. He said that he would always look back at his memories but he never looks back to see if he could have done something different. He said that his life turned out just how it was supposed to with the people that he was supposed to be with. He talked about me making decisions and how I go about making them. So when we got home, I was wiped out by the stress of the amount of stuff he had pounded into my head. But the things he said to me really stuck with me. I got to thinking about if his other girlfriend had married him I wouldn’t have been born or I wouldn't have been born Me. What if he hadn’t decided to talk to my mom? What if he decided to stay in the military instead of going on to college? What if's are a bitch! They can really mess you up. But I got one thing out of it: All the things that he did in his life and all the things that my mom did in her life, added up to me being on this earth. To me that’s a lot of major life decisions.
I went with my dad on a trip a few years ago during spring break. It was one of those trips that he wanted to talk to me about some things. I had gotten into trouble at school a couple of times and I had a couple of bad grades in class. I also got into a fight with William over something stupid. So dad decided that I needed to go with him on this trip for an attitude adjustment (it was probably mom's idea). We drove all over Texas over 5 days and nights. So we had a lot of time to talk.
And the talking started about 5 miles down the road. He laid into me about what was expected of me and what was not expected of me. He really laid down the law as much as he could. This area is more my mom’s job. But I got the message. It only took about 30 miles and he was thru with his “laying down the law” part. So we had the next 5 days and nights to talk about other stuff. This is one of those great memories that I will have with me forever. I found out so much about my dad during those 5 days. The conversations went into things that he never talks about, with me anyway.
About noon, we stopped to eat somewhere close to the La/Tx state line. While we were in the restaurant, he said something about a woman at one of the other tables. I asked him who she was and he told me she was just a woman that looks like a girlfriend of his when he was in high school. He told me that he was ready to marry her as soon as they graduated from high school. I didn’t know about her at all. He told me a lot about her, things I guess most kids don’t hear about from their dads. But it was cool. They dated for like 2 years and really loved each other he said. They broke up during his jr. year because she didn’t want to become a military wife that had to follow her husband around all over the world. So my dad met my mom later that year and they got married instead.
He didn't talk about anything major the rest of the way to Tyler, Tx. We spent the night there cause he had a business meeting the next morning. After his meeting, we started for Houston and he started talking to me about what I planned to do after high school and college. What was I going to study in college? What were my plans for the future? Blah blah blah..... I told him that I really didn’t have a plan. I had some things that I was interested in but at that moment, I still hadn’t made up my mind. Then I asked him how did he go about that when he was my age? What were his plans at 12/13 years old? He told me that he was really into racing motorcycles at a track close to where he lived. He was also hanging around this guys garage that raced stock cars around the area, learning how to work on cars and to listen to the guys in there talk racing. He said that the next year, he had to start working on the farm more and didn’t have time to do that any more. He said then he wanted to join the forestry service and work in places like Yellowstone or The Grand Canyon Park. He also wanted to have a horse ranch out west. He’s always wanted horses. Then when he was 16, he decided that he would join the military so he would be able to go to college (either to be a veterinarian or get a business degree). When he broke up with his girl friend, he then planned to join up and make it his career. Then he met my mom and things changed again. And before he was out of the Army, William was born, so that put a big crimp in his plans for a career in the military. We talked a lot about the Army and college the rest of the day. It was an interesting day. I got to hear about my dad’s dreams and disappointments. But he wasn’t bitter or down about it, he was kinda happy telling me this stuff. It was probably the first time I realized my dad was 12 years old once upon a time. LOL.
When we got to Houston, we went to his buddy Dale’s house. It was awesome there. I really had a good time. He had a pool and that was great. And another thing was the next day; we went sailing on Dale’s sailboat in the Gulf. That was super cool. Dad had 2 meetings to go to but for the most part, it was just a vacation. I even tried to surf. LOL. I'm a huge dork cause I couldn't even get 20 yards from the beach on that thing to start with. The waves just pushed me in. Then when I did get out, I couldn't get up on it. I almost drank the gulf dry trying. When I finally got up but I had to have looked like the biggest loser on the planet. And to make it even worse, Texas doesn't have huge waves so it should have been easier for me to get up. I think I will leave surfing to people that can look cool riding a board on a wave cause I will never look cool doing it.
On the ride home, he got serious again. I think he was worried about the stuff he told me, and that I would take it wrong or not understand it. And he really wanted me to get his point about decisions. He kept at me, talking about making decisions and making the right decisions. He told me that as an adult, you have to make decisions about life everyday. But that Life decisions are the big ones. Those are decisions that shape where you go in life: marriage, college, work, family, etc. He told me that with a life decision, you should never regret those decisions. They should be decisions made with a lot of thought and if possible, imput from the people that you trust; your family and friends. When you make one of those decisions, you have nothing to regret because you have made the right decision. He said that he would always look back at his memories but he never looks back to see if he could have done something different. He said that his life turned out just how it was supposed to with the people that he was supposed to be with. He talked about me making decisions and how I go about making them. So when we got home, I was wiped out by the stress of the amount of stuff he had pounded into my head. But the things he said to me really stuck with me. I got to thinking about if his other girlfriend had married him I wouldn’t have been born or I wouldn't have been born Me. What if he hadn’t decided to talk to my mom? What if he decided to stay in the military instead of going on to college? What if's are a bitch! They can really mess you up. But I got one thing out of it: All the things that he did in his life and all the things that my mom did in her life, added up to me being on this earth. To me that’s a lot of major life decisions.
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