Around the world... At 14?

Think of someone you know who’s fourteen years old. Now think of that kid getting into a boat and sailing it around the world … all alone.

Laura Dekker was only a teenager when she decided that she was ready to make that amazing solo trip. Her parents decided she was ready, too. But officials in Holland, her home country, disagreed. They decided Laura needed to be put in protective custody. She was held for two months, because the government didn’t trust her parents to keep her from setting sail.

Laura and her parents won that legal battle, but that was only the beginning of the journey. On the open ocean, there were plenty of scary moments … moments that made some people wonder whether the Dutch authorities had been right after all.

But last weekend, Laura pulled into St. Maarten, the same port she had left from over a year ago and 27,000 nautical miles earlier. She is now sixteen and the youngest person ever to sail around the globe alone. I salute her.

Should Laura have been allowed to make this trip in the first place? It seems like everybody’s got an opinion. Mine starts from the assumption that this is a special kid.

I lean toward respecting the decision of Laura’s family. That careful decision, and the parents’ unfailing support for Laura before and during the trip, says to me they knew what they were doing. They made the right call.

Steve Jobs once said: “I want to put a ding in the universe.” Laura and her parents just did that … and I think we should all stop to notice that they did it together, as a family.

I support empowering youth, and I believe young people who are mentally and physically prepared should have the opportunity to prove themselves, even in audacious ways. I believe the daring youth of today are our visionary leaders of tomorrow.

I’d like to hear your opinion.