[pct-l] Sorta OT - Reaction to Abby Sunderland's Rescue

[Eric Lee]

Ken wrote:
>
I've met a lot of phenomenal youth sailors, including world champions.  I
would NOT have any of them do this, and Abby in not in their class.  I've
never understood the argument that because you CAN do something, you SHOULD
do it.  
>

My opinion is similar to Ken's, though I'm not nearly as qualified to have
one as he is.

First, I'm all for encouraging kids and people of all ages to live their
lives fully and to have adventures.  A perfectly safe life is not worth
living.  Some risk is inevitable; the question is what do you get in return
for the risks you take and are you willing to accept responsibility for the
consequences of your choices?

I think Abby Sunderland's age is not really the issue here; the issue is why
she was in that ocean at this time of year in that boat.  Youth or adult,
that was pushing the boundary of irresponsibility.  There's a difference
between doing something that is normally safe, though some unusual accident
might occur, vs. doing something that has a very significant chance of
disaster.  I'm not a sailor but my understanding is that the Indian ocean in
winter is known for its ferocious storms.  An outcome like this was entirely
foreseeable.  She lost her boat but could easily have lost her life and she
wouldn't have been the first, not by a long shot.

I think there's a difference between fear and respect.  BigToe's original
question is a good one: why is there so much irrational fear of the natural
world these days?  I think that as a society we're becoming entirely too
disconnected from reality.  We life artificial lives, in artificial
buildings, eating artificial food, and having artificial relationships.
This causes two unfortunate results: either people become irrationally
risk-adverse and are ruled by The Fear, or they do stupid things and take
stupid chances.  In both cases the cause is the same - they have no concept
of how the natural world *actually* works, what situations are likely to
occur, and what situations are unlikely to occur.  Instead of dealing with
reality on its terms they float along in their own make-believe world.

I think we need to develop a better respect for the natural world, approach
it on its terms, and embrace it rather than try to conquer it.

Eric