Tag Archives: writing

Hemingway

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Some things in life I may never understand. My father passed away years ago of natural causes. Though I miss him deeply and think of him often, usually I smile and go about my day. Every once in a while, there are unpredictable moments when I’m overwhelmed by memories of him.

A few nights ago I stumbled on a youtube site where a guy spends his time rescuing old bulldozers. This guy was explaining how these old machines had two engines, the big diesel motor and a smaller gas motor which was used to prime the diesel engine. Instantly I was caught in a memory of sitting in my dad’s truck before sunrise on a cold winter day, watching him try to start a very old and worn out D8 dozer by spraying ether into the carburetor of the priming motor.

I stayed up for hours watching that video.

In addition to binge watching youtube videos of bulldozers, I find myself re-reading and listing to the works of Ernest Hemingway, my father’s favorite author. It started with Old Man and the Sea, then A Farewell to Arms. Now I’m listening to For Whom the Bell Tolls. I read all of his works in my teens / early twenties and though I enjoyed them at the time, other authors such as Joseph Heller, Charles Dickens, and Ken Kesey made a greater impression. By my late 20’s and early 30’s, i had left novels for non-fiction.

But in the past few years, I have put down the biographies and business books for more fiction. Unexpectedly, I.am enjoying the time spent lost in novels. It has helped awaken my creativity and even spurred me to start journaling again. As for Hemingway, I know as a person he has a mixed legacy. I know very little about his actual life, but I can get lost in his telling of Frederic rowing Catherine Barkley up a lake into Switzerland in the middle of the night.

I don’t know if I’m listening to Hemingway because i miss my dad, or because I like Hemingway and listening to him makes me think of my dad. Both? Regardless, I’m grateful for the warm thoughts of my father and I am finding Hemingway a great escape from the cold winter.

Seven places I’d rather be this January

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Can you tell I have been day dreaming during these cold grey days of winter?

  1. Fort Collins Colorado – If I had to pick a mid sized town with a college feel but isn’t too full of itself. . . Hello FoCo (as my Boulder friend calls it). We spent a few days in a rented house during the pandemic and loved every minute. We tubed in the river, rode bikes around town and shopped at the local Safeway. It was so vanilla yet perfect and without tourists.
  2. Anywhere in Portugal or Spain. This is a part of Europe that I spent some time visiting in my youth, fell in love with the land and people, but sadly never returned. The food and general laid back approach to life is something I want more of. Siesta? Yes please.
  3. Patagonia Chile – On the bucket list. We got a small taste of South America years ago when traveling to Quito. I love the mountains, forests, beaches, ocean, all of it. I want to explore it all.
  4. Zermatt – Obvious if you’ve been there, it’s the perfect Swiss alp town with skiing access to northern Italy. I want to awake to fresh snow, strong coffee, mountain air. In the evenings, I want to feast on fondue and chocolate. During our honeymoon, my wife and I went on a James Bond date where we took the train up the mountain for a fancy dinner dressed in a tuxedo and formal gown.
  5. Coromandel New Zealand – Yes another southern hemisphere location for January. See a pattern? Longer days, more sunshine. My lovely bride and I spent two weeks in this region on a holiday after we got engaged in Australia. This part of the world holds a very special place in my memory and I can’t wait to get back to hot water beach and cathedral cove.

  6. Antartica – Yes, more sun. 24 hours. High on the bucket list as the last continent to visit. My wife worked there for a few months during graduate school. I’d happily sign up for a six month polar job just for the stories and experience.
  7. La Jolla / San Diego – I spent a few days in Oceanside and La Jolla last spring for work. I was taken by the beach, quirks of the community, and the general vibe of the place. I have wanted to go back for.a longer stay, preferably during the less busy season like now.

I must now resume to my routine here, dreaming of faraway places with sun and adventure.