On Being 14...

Phinnaeus is a really great kid. He seems to have inherited the best of both his parents, and he's a very nice young man. He has a finely honed sense of what is right and wrong, and he has an in-born sense of honesty and decency. With Phinnaeus, what you see is what you get. He has an open face, and a wonderful grin, and the world's best sense of humor, a sense of the ridiculous, and best of all, a sense of irony.  He can see the absurdity in almost any situation, and I have a feeling that is a trait that will carry him through his life.  Phinnaeus was born with a curiosity about everything, and he's one of those people who, when he sets out to do something, he does it well.  He inherited that from his mother.  Right now Phinnaeus is taking an interest in cooking.  I think that's a hoot.  He told me the other day he made beef bourguignon, and it turned out really well.  He said it took him six hours to make it, but everyone loved  it.  Well, of course they did. He also makes the best ice cream root beer floats -- I mean, the best.

Phinnaeus loves to hop on his bike and go for long bike rides around the Lower Mainland.  He took a keen interest in the recent Tour de France, and informed me that a local fellow from Victoria came in 7th overall.  Well, I didn't know that.  Phinnaeus is just at that bridge between childhood and adulthood, known as the teenage years.  He is tall and can sometimes be mature looking, but he is still just a goofy kid inside.  The world is still pretty much a mystery to him, and that's good.  There is time enough to learn about the world.  A 14 year-old should be a 14 year-old as long as possible, and most of them are really are just goofy kids inside maturing bodies.  They're like puppies that still haven't grown into their feet, and like puppies they need the occasional discipline and a lot of sleep.  A lot.

Today it was announced that 14 year-old Laura Dekker is setting off from the Netherlands, to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world.  All I could think was "Oh, good Lord Almighty, not another one."  What on earth are her parents thinking?  According to Laura, she's not afraid of pirates, she's packed plenty of school books, and she's going to miss her family and her dog, Spot.  "I can be sailing now, and that's great!"

Oh good grief, will someone please tell me what I am missing? Am I missing something? I am a little bit familiar with 14 year-old kids. I was one myself -- once. I remember what it was like to be 14.  I had absolutely no sense of responsibility beyond what a 14 year-old should be expected to have.  My friends and I were experiencing the first brief taste of independence, but we had to be home at a certain time -- usually 9:00 -- or else.

I actually feel genuine concern that this girl is being allowed to sail solo on the world's oceans at the age of 14.  No matter how much they protest to the contrary, 14 year-old kids are not mature enough for such a venture, and there are some decisions that 14 year-olds are not mature enough to make on their own.  Please, someone put a stop to this nonsense.