Smarmy advice on how to conduct your life from Bode (First You Have
to Row a Little Boat, 1993, etc.). Jettisoning a marriage of 30
years, Bode takes to the beachcomber's life along California's
lovely Miramar coast. He troops up and down the strand, musing on
the human condition. These pensees are the fruits of his
ambulations. He cherishes the child's wonder, the free life: "Like
a migratory bird, I move by instinct, my behavior governed by
forces beyond myself." Vraiment. But without leisure and means,
said lifestyle is little more than figment. The force at work here
is of the white-male-with-connections variety; soft touchdowns
await, a phone call away. Money is vulgar, Bode informs readers,
then churlishly turns on his wife over their settlement. "I had
earned the money, but I didn't need it. She hadn't earned the
money, but she did need it . . . She acquired financial security; I
purchased my freedom." Such honesty, hombre. Money is vulgar,
though he would be nowhere without its reference points. "I might
have been a millionaire; I mean that literally." He was a
successful public relations man; big bucks awaited; he declined
(though the river ran deep and Bode knew where to cast): "It
astounds me when I think of the courage it takes to live, to behave
as we want to." Most of his time is spent otherwise: crawling over
parental injustices, dismissively laughing at a man confusing a sea
lion with a dog, patronizing a relative who abandoned the piano.
Follow your star, urges Bode, even in a relationship: "He can have
his perceptions and she can have hers and the two don't have to
jibe." A couple of pages later, though, he notes what a shame it is
when two people "don't respond to the world about them in the same
way." Pretentious, aimless, worthless. (Kirkus Reviews)
Also Available as an eBook
"Heaven in a grain of sand...heavenly wisdom is what Beachcombing at Miramar is all about."
The Quest for an Authentic Life
M. Scott Peck, M.D., said of Richard Bode's First You Have to Row a Little Boat, "elegant as a clipper and practical as a tug, this brilliantly written elegy teaches the fundamental principles of life and how to navigate its shoals." Now this extraordinary writer presents a new book that challenges us to open horizons within ourselves.
Richard Bode went to a California beach to discover the truth about his life. Contemplating the sea and the shore, tuning in to the rhythms of the tides, he observed, he experienced, he remembered. With each word picture, he uncovered another piece of his authentic self. This remarkable book, filled with unforgettable moments, has the power, like the sea itself, to reshape our lives. Gradually, if I go with courage and wisdom, I arrive at my destination, a place called paradise. It is not a land free of struggle, a realm devoid of pain or grief. But it is the place where I feel at home, where I am supposed to be. -- from Beachcombing at Miramar.
"Bode creates one of those small miracles of writing able to pierce the heart."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Beautiful, sensitive and mindful...I was enchanted."
-Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D., bestselling author of Your Erroneous Zones
"Lyrical...with contemplative intensity...In sculpted, resonant prose, Bode tells of soaking up natural beauty...It's a common enough fantasy, moving to a hut on the beach, but Bode lives it."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A restful book...about the companions we choose and the pace at which we live our lives."
-Los Angeles Times
"I felt as if Thoreau and Emerson were back writing for our time."
-Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D., bestselling author of Your Erroneous Zones
"Invokes the examples of Thoreau and Gauguin, men who had to step outside the mainstream to realize their greatness."
-Boston Sunday Globe
"An eloquent and reassuring memoir...Bode's clear, well-reasoned prose uplifts."
-Fort Lauderdale Herald
"A marvelous little book that one can't set aside for very long. Once you start reading you'll want to not only finish the book quickly but you'll find yourself picking it up and randomly rereading various chapters."
-Monterey Herald
"A book about life, yet [also] a book of poetry. Eloquently written, it is a lesson to be learned and a pleasure to read."
-The Light Connection
"A fine example of how a spirituality of place can lead to enchantment."
-Cultural Information Service (NY)
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