The Adventures of a Boy with Sand in His Shoes

An adolescent is struggling to gain his independence and be treated like an adult. His rebellious nature causes him to venture out in his daysailer to a small island between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. While camping on the island, he discovers a hermit who is dwelling there temporarily. Through the hermit’s wisdom and experience with nature, the teenager learns self-reliance and how to accept membership in the adult world.The old hermit is a man called Slim, a giant of a man standing over seven feet tall! Slim has lived a hard life by some people’s standards, but he is also the envy of many successful people who experience very little freedom in life. With Slim’s help, the young man soon learns that the common, everyday mundane tasks in life can be exciting and fun after learning the skills necessary to survive. He learns that Slim is a compassionate person with an acute sense of humor when it comes to observing nature on land and in the sea.Most of Slim’s lessons are taught by letting the teenager do things for himself. Through a myriad of learning experiences, from shark fishing to scuba diving, he learns to appreciate nature by doing and by becoming a part of nature. He discovers that all things in nature, regardless of age, depend on each other in their environment to survive. The young man’s attitude gradually begins to change as he faces danger, experiences fear, needs help, and recognizes the wisdom of his parents. “We all need somebody we can rely on,” Slim once told him, “and becoming an adult is like being a reliable friend who is looking out for someone’s best interests!”