Maddie loves chickens, a lot. Her favorite chicken is the silky chicken which looks more like something out of Sesame Street than a farm animal. This obscure chicken is very fluffy with feathers peering out of every part of its body. At the center of it all is a beak that sits unassuming in the middle of its face to remind you that this is indeed a chicken.
Years ago, someone gave Maddie a book called "Extraordinary Chickens" simply because it has pictures of the silky chicken in it. While the book may be about birds, the title impacted me.
Growing up, I was never the toughest nor the bravest. Instead, I was the quiet nerd that kept to himself. In many ways I still am.
When people hear about our planned adventure, they always say "you must be very brave" but the truth is, I'm not.
I see our journey as a slow sail across the water, one hull length at a time. When the weather is nice, we will sail. When the weather turns for the worst, we will heave to under the storm sails as we wait for conditions to improve.
We are not trying to race across the ocean or break any sort of record. Instead, we are simply setting the sails and going in one direction for a very long time.
We are not brave sailors who seek out danger or people who feel most alive when we stare death in the face. No, we are merely chickens; extraordinary chickens, that is!
