Sailing through the sea of life..

Sailing through the sea of life..

By: Aracely Baeza

Richard Bode seems to me to be somewhat of a pessimist when it comes to writing analogies and metaphors about his life, in his very popular book First You Have to Row a Little Boat:Reflections on Life & Living, which turned into a bestseller in 1995, has also gone through several hardcover printings and not to mention has been published in twelve foreign-language editions.

 Bode talks about how he was very unhappy in his public relations career and compares his life to sailing through the open ocean, and defines the wind as the controlling or guiding force to his life.

"When I was writing Little Boat, I walked on the beach every single day, so I could puzzle out what I was trying to say," says Bode according to Union College Magazine 

                                                                     (Photo credit to: baptist.org)

Bode's marriage fell apart when his children were grown, he decided to move and leave his successful career and live on his own in a cottage on a beach in California. 

He was finally able to do what he had always wanted and write. 

Although, he eventually began to do what he had always wanted to do, the tone in this book about life as mentioned before is not very exciting.

He talks about how he wishes very much that he would have taught his children the right ways to live but at the same time says it as though they should learn all on their own. 

 There are a few "deep" thoughts in the book however like when he says;

“For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know. The day will come when I will die. So the only matter of consequence before me is what I will do with my allotted time. I can remain on shore, paralyzed with fear, or I can raise my sails and dip and soar in the breeze.” 

                                                   (Photo credits to: David Sanger Photography)

I can hear the frustration he has with life, he isn't very satisfied but will live with what he has.  

The refrences to sailing in this context may be very appealing to those whom enjoy the open waters and everything that comes with sailing. Personally, I love the ocean and the enormous peace I receive from it, however the way it is portrayed in this book isn't very peaceful. 

It is a good in the sense that it makes you think about life, but sort of makes me question my career choice.

All in all, this book is one of those you must read to get a feel of it for yourself. Being a bestseller though, may show you it might really be worth it!

Row Row Row Your Boat, but What if You Get Seasick?

by Jacqueline Bello


Taste the salty air. Rock with the ever-constant roll of the ocean. Feel the sea breeze blowing your hair.  For many individuals the life of the sea provides an escape, an alternative universe where life's great quandaries seem to make sense and where everything man thinks he knows is tested. This is especially true for author Richard Bode in First You Have To Row A Little Boat, a book of life lessons learned, metaphorically compared to the difficult task of learning to sail a sailboat in the Great South Bay of Long Island, New York.

Caption: A sailboat similar to the one sailed by the young Richard Bode. 
SAILBOAT RACE ON CHESAPEAKE BAY, by Mike Lien (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SAILBOAT_RACE_ON_CHESAPEAKE_BAY_-_NARA_-_548532.jpg), via Wikimedia Commons

"I am filled with a lore which I learned as a boy, and I failed to pass it on to my sons and daughters, who will now fail to pass it on to theirs"(p. 2).

Bode begins the book by expressing his regret for never teaching his children to sail. Perhaps a deeper illusion to his realization of the lessons he learned, but did not realized he had learned until reaching adulthood. The reader quickly learns of the escape sailing provided Bode throughout his life. Having lost his parents at a young age, working tirelessly and passionlessly at his career, all gave him reason to seek such escape from his daily trials. In the solitude of a sailboat he learned lessons about humility, patience and fate in the difference aspects of life.

Caption: Richard Bode aboard a sailboat. 
Retrieved from https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/authors/richard-bode/

The life of sea may be appealing to some, what if you get seasick?

While I agree with some of the lessons taught by Bode, I struggled to follow the sailing metaphor at times. The book was filled with boat jargon that someone unfamiliar with sailing could not understand. As someone who gets seasick, I had no interest in learning these lessons via a boat and would have preferred a simple book of life lessons. At times the book is choppy, as is the ocean on occasion. There was no true structure or build up. A chapter filled with excitement was too quickly followed by three chapters of smooth sailing.

I do not believe this book is for everyone, but if you are a sea-lover looking to learn a few valuable life lessons, this may be the book for you. If, like me, you are more of a land-lover perhaps something a little more straight forward and less metaphoric would be a better choice.

You Must First Row A Little Boat On A Lake Before You Sail The Open Seas.

You Must First Row A Little Boat On A Lake Before You Sail The Open Seas.

By Ashleigh Fergus

Book Title: First You Have To Row A Little Boat: Reflections on Life & Living

Author: Richard Bode

Length: 182 pages

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Price: $14.99 USD

As Richard Bode sails on the open water, he reflects upon his life’s trials and tribulations.

Bode is desperately seeking life’s meaning and associated knowledge in his venture out in the open sea, instead of finding his answers in a corporate society where one is typically found chained behind a desk.

In his book, First You Have To Row A Little Boat, Bode shares his personal outlook on life.  While some may find his writing insightful and poetic, I’d say Bode creates misery. And, we all know that misery loves company.

Photo Credit: By Brian Jeffery Beggerly from S'pore (Flickr) [<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0">CC-BY-2.0</a>], <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOpen_boats.jpg">via Wikimedia Commons</a>

Not only did I find this book pushing emotional boundaries, I also found his strained metaphors about the sea to be a little painstaking and tedious.  I could not relate to the author’s journey because he lacked a zest for life. I am someone who enjoys upbeat and comical books, so I struggled to stay focused on his musings.

Bode believes that one learns from his mistakes and at the basic level I would agree.  However, when children enter the equation, everything changes.  In my personal opinion, children need guidance and direction in order to set out of the right path of life.  

I believe that as a parent, one often has to course-correct their child, especially if the path they are pursing is harmful and unsafe.  But Bode allows his children to learn from their mistakes without intervening. For example. when Bode sees his son sailing in a dangerous manner around the beach, he refuses to intervene.

I do not agree with Bode's parenting because if a parent does not invest in his child, we leave it up to destiny to guide our child to safety.  As parents, we should teach our children to put one foot in front of the other.

That’s why I share this advice: You must first row a little boat on a lake before you sail the open seas. 

                                                     

          Photo Credit: By Jd5466 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons