Rick Crawford
We are living in some interesting times with the Coronavirus, but I always try to see challenges as opportunities. Case in point, COVID-19 has provided an opportunity for families to spend more time together; I have had the time to do a bit more research into planting my vegetable garden than previous years; and much to my wife’s great pleasure, we did an inventory and organized our kitchen pantry. That said, it can be overwhelming when you start listening to the news with so many unknowns about the future, so I have been focusing on the things I am grateful for, such as: having a roof over our head, a pantry full of food and a happy and healthy daughter. This has helped me to remember that so many people in this world are less fortunate and instead of worrying about the future of my business, I am working on being grateful for what I do have. All of that being said, I still need a way to escape from the harsh realities of what we are dealing with, so here’s a few of my favorite books for escapism during the COVID-19 pandemic….
I have read all of Buffett’s books, but somehow A Salty Piece of Land fell through the cracks, and while I am currently reading it, so I have finished the book, I am loving it! Quick synopsis is a Wyoming cowboy, Tully Mars, is on the run from the law and finds himself on a boat headed for Belize (with his horse!) and lands a job working at a bonefish lodge to lay low for a while and eventually on to a massive schooner headed for the tropical island of Cayo Loco in the Bahamas. At least that’s as far as I have gotten, but it’s been a welcome escape so far!
I read Barbarian Days about five years ago as my wife and I were preparing for a trip to French Polynesia and it was the perfect book for getting into some tropical vibes as author William Finnegan shares his memoir of growing up and surfing in California and Hawaii where he becomes addicted to surfing. “Barbarian Days takes us deep into unfamiliar worlds, some of them right under our noses–off the coast of New York and San Francisco–and some of them further afield, from the picturesque simplicity of a Samoan fishing village to the ins and outs of the Indonesian black market.”
If you know me, then you know that I am obsessed with Aloha shirts, which is why I was reading The Aloha Shirt by Dale Hope and in reading it came across the name of an author and poet, Don Blanding. I looked him up and bought several of his poetry books and also Hula Moons. I am sucker and a bit of a romantic when it comes to the tropics and Hula Moons is incredible as it describes Blanding’s first-hand account of moving to Hawaii in the 1930’s from Oklahoma and is about as good of an escape as I could possibly recommend!
I would imagine that we could all use a dose of escapism in our life right now, so stay tuned as I have some more recommendations including YouTube channels and music! In the meantime, enjoy this slower pace of life and focus on being grateful for what you do have. COVID-19 may very well be the opportunity you have been waiting on….