by Marissa DuBois
First You Have to Row a Little Boat
Authored by: Richard Bode
182 pages
Published by Grand Central Publishing
$14.99 USA
You feel it in the air. Breezing on
by. The wind. It can even guide your life.
“Were you worried?” I asked.
“I was for a while. But then I called
the captain. He told me you had probably lost the
wind but not to worry because
sooner or later you would find it again.”
-First You Have To Row a Little Boat
The wind is used as a metaphor. I
easily related the metaphor in of wind First
You Have to Row a Little Boat guiding our lives to metaphors of the wind
in the Bible. I can see the wind as a pushing mechanism that leads you to
destination just like the wind leads the sails away.
In a reflective memoir, Richard Bode describes his life through his unique sailing experiences. As an avid sailor
and previously successful public relations practitioner, Bode regrets not spending
time teaching his children how to sail. Sailing becomes an interesting motif
throughout the story of Bode’s life as it changes with his life experiences to
reflect different opportunities and stages throughout his life. He decides for
himself it is better to leave the shore than be paralyzed by fear on land.
A basic knowledge and familiarity
of sailing is
important to understanding the jargon and writing style of Bode’s life moments.
Bode began sailing ever since he was a young boy at the age of 12. A lifetime’s
experience of sailing and writing contributed to a well-purposed book. Bode
uses beautiful imagery of the union of man and female through tying knots on his sailboat.
The intricacies of sailing and life are justified through truth and time of
Bode’s life. Some portions of his dialogue were uninteresting, however I
thoroughly appreciated his introspective beliefs and connections to sailing.
“We can't separate what we believe from who we are.” Bode said.
For a great glimpse at life, sailing, and reflections, read
this book. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to take a sailing trip.
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