Could be worse

So, my daughter is going to travel across the country, by car, with boy and cat. I'm being the worrying parent, and thinking of all the problems that could arise, like flat tires, the old van crapping out, running out of money, runaway cat (y is that bad?), snow in the mountains, mountain lions (Kell is small), other drivers, mad truckers, asleep at the wheel, falling in the grand canyon, California, Oregon water torture, Joblessness, "Dad, I have no money".... There are many routes to take in life. One is the safe route, close to home, your support group, your security, the mundane, less challenging route. The other is the adventurous route, the risky, the exciting, challenging, and rewarding route. If I were to follow my parental instincts, and convince her to stay in her security zone, it would be like someone convincing me not to sail out of sight of land, to hug the shore, be back before dark, stay tied to the dock. You could sink, drown, get lost, pirates, sharks, sunburn, jellyfish, barracuda (I'm small), dehydration... What fun would sailing be if we just went the same route every weekend, and came back to the same dock every time. What new skills would we learn, what new fun, and adventure would we have, if we saw the same things, and only sailed on perfect days? We would be bored to tears, and would eventually give up the sport for golf (ugh), gardening and TV. There are things that can happen to you out there, but there are things that can never happen to you if you stay here. Kell, go have an adventure. Just call me every day. I want to hear all about it. Hey, it could be worse. Imagine what Jessica Watson's parents must be going through.

Youngest To Solo Sail Round The World Click here for her story “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -- Mark Twain