This column, as regular readers know, is usually about politics. But not today. This column is about courage and a dream. This week a fourteen year old Dutch girl, Laura Dekker, set sail for Portugal, where she will begin her effort to become the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world. Her father went with her to her departure point, he said, because "we want to make sure the boat is completely ready." Well yes, I'll bet he does. The boat, by the way, is named Guppy and is 26 feet long. To begin the journey she needed a court order overturning a child protection ruling. She got one. "I am not really afraid," she told reporters. What will she miss most? Spot, her dog. Do you remember the old prayer--the books say it started with Breton fishermen centuries ago: "Oh God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small?" Sure works for Laura Dekker. So I wish you well, young Laura. I hope the ocean gods are kind. I hope the seas and the journey are calm. I wish not just "Bon voyage," a good journey, but an excellent one. And, please, come safely home.
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