Title: A Young Man’s Dream: An Old Man’s Reality
Author: Wyveda I. Philbert
Publisher: Explora Books
Pages: 184
ISBN: 978-1834301921
Genre: Memoir
Reviewer: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Hollywood Book Reviews
Wyveda I. Philbert creates a dynamic memoir of the voyage that her retired husband Joe had been longing for since he was a young man – to navigate The Loop, from Florida to Maine and Michigan, across the extensive Erie Canal, south along Mississippi and other rivers, and back to Florida via the Intracoastal Waterway. In 1996 his dream came alive when the couple, who tended a farm in Indiana, had begun spending winters in Florida on their boat, Whrooshe. Philbert elected to join Joe on the first portion of his multistate voyage, planning to return home and leave him to complete The Loop once they reached Virginia. Her daily, diligent journaling depicts the serenity and pure enjoyment the couple shared on that trek, along with its undeniable dangers and discomforts. Weather caused delays and upheavals while providing splendid vistas. The travelers braved fog, storms, and local regulations, confronted huge ships, and traversed complex canal locks. When it came time for Philbert to leave, she chose instead to stay, both to assist Joe and realizing that “…Many dream of doing the Loop, but never get to do so. And here I have the opportunity right in front of me.” From April to October, the pair would learn more about sea-going than either could have anticipated. The voyage’s undeniable rewards were sealed when, after completing the excursion, the couple proudly dubbed themselves “Loopers.”
Philbert’s journaling amply demonstrates her abilities as a wordsmith, able to accurately convey the smallest technical details enmeshed in an emotive portrait of shared optimism and perseverance. Her diary presents such information as daily mileage covered and recounts the couple’s shared routines – morning coffee and bird watching – even as they dealt with small glitches and major setbacks. Her description of notable landmarks is especially enlightening: the historic cobblestone streets, old mansions and monuments found in Charleston, South Carolina; the Statue of Liberty gazed upward from the water; and Niagara Falls, with its “simply hypnotizing” grandeur. The few photographs offered include “Captain Joe” at the wheel of Whoosher, and several gleeful moments enjoyed by the couple as they made their watery round. Exotic cuisines were sampled, varieties of flowers and birds noted in their natural habitats, friendships created – all underpinned by two central factors: the couple’s zest for adventure and their love for each other.
Philbert’s saga will doubtless provide a dramatic and informative guide for future Loopers, and encouragement for all readers contemplating all forms of extensive, exhilarating travel. Through every obstacle and triumph, the story reveals that the true reward isn’t simply reaching the destination, but embracing the journey itself. An inspiring read for boating enthusiasts, travelers, and anyone who believes life’s greatest adventures can begin long after retirement.