Cabanas Have Taken Over Our Beaches

Reeta Dhar
Mar 18
5 min read

Updated: Jun 8

A strange thing has been transpiring across the beaches in the Eastern Suburbs these past two years.

What was once the domain of beach towels has now become a cabana stronghold.

Every weekend, cabanas cover the beach from one end to another. In true mass-produced fashion, they all look remarkably similar: flimsy plastic tents in striped blue or beige.

To my eye, they look rather tacky. Still, the average price is $200.

Cabanas seem to have a viral component. They appear to have emerged and spread almost overnight. It’s as if the whole community developed a severe case of FOMO, rushing to buy one of these things.

Seeing this sudden upsurge in cabanas, I had to stop and say to Darren,

"We are in the wrong business, man!"

Why put in the hard work in publishing? We create stories that help kids navigate life's challenges. Meanwhile, families are eager to spend on beach gear.

The Depressing Reality of Retail

When we started Wise As Stories, I was completely new to the world of books, publishing, and retail. The learning curve has been steep.

What the past few years in retail have clearly shown is that it's much easier to sell people useless crap than something meaningful.

People seem constantly in search of quick fixes, and let’s face it, we all have our vanity traps:

A ten-minute exercise routine guaranteeing a six-pack.
A must-have meal plan that promises to shed all excess body fat.
A revolutionary shampoo for salon-finish hair without blow-drying.
A premium knife set that turns cutting veggies into a joy.
And the worst offender: skincare products claiming to defy aging!

If we could truly defy aging, no one would die. It's physically impossible to stop aging. We will all wrinkle and pass away someday. Why not embrace it?

At some level, we know we are being sold gimmicks. However, we still pay a premium price for the promise they offer.

This pleasant self-delusion has infected us all. Fortunately, companies selling this junk don’t need extensive marketing; their products sell themselves.

For us, two struggling artists who have spent five years creating beautifully authentic stories for children, every book sale comes with a struggle. We've had to work hard—and pay Facebook a fortune—for every single book sold!

Yes, cue the violins.

We know our books are good because you keep telling us.

So, why don’t genuinely good books that address vital issues—like mental health—share the same viral quality as those cabanas?

The answer is straightforward:

Willow the Wonderer does not offer instant gratification.

Our books may entertain and engage children, but they won’t instantly transform them into enlightened beings.

Had we created an "Ozempic" for instant enlightenment, it would have been an Oprah special by now...

Our Obsession with Quick Fixes

The western world has always sought quick fixes for existential anxieties. Even the spiritual awakening of the 60s/70s was inspired by a pill—LSD.

Today, substances like LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin are resurfacing. They are being trialed for treating severe mental health conditions, which is promising.

What worries me, though, is the advocacy these substances receive, especially in certain circles, for casual use.

The purpose? To expand the mind—if not for spiritual growth, then to enhance one’s life experience.

Much-needed warnings about the unpredictability of these “trips” are often overlooked.

Just as good trips can lead to transformation, negative experiences can linger as well.

Every time someone takes one of these substances, they mess with what is a finely-tuned neurochemistry for those without severe mental health issues.

Is it worth the risk?

Often, those advocating casual use overlook the fact that yogis in the East never needed these chemicals to open their minds. Their insights into the mind's nature have shaped mindfulness therapies embraced in modern psychology.

No LSD needed here.

And no, these yogis aren’t a different species of human. They simply put in the work.

Put in the Work and See the Results

Most of us today, irrespective of cultural backgrounds, are quite westernized.

Looking for quick fixes is our common fate.

However, some of us seem to suffer this fate less than others.

I suspect the audience reading this is firmly in the "do the work" camp. After all, you’ve departed from the masses and are among the first to buy wisdom books for your little ones.

I discovered contemplative and wisdom traditions in my late 20s. To this day, I can confidently say that this knowledge is the most consequential I have ever gained.

It grounded me during tumultuous times and gave me a stable foundation upon which to build my life.

After fifteen years of practicing mind training, I've seen my life quality, relationships, and mental wellbeing transform for the better.

In 2020, after much thought during the COVID lockdowns, I chose to leave my corporate career. I wanted to create positive change in the world, starting with the mind.

Our mind shapes how we experience the world—how we feel about it. When we understand how the mind works, we’re better equipped to regulate and refine it. This understanding leads to improved inner experiences, which eventually transform our outer conditions.

For thousands of years, eastern contemplative traditions have explored the mind through practices like meditation. Their insights are transformative.

Yet, this vital knowledge often isn’t taught, even in Eastern cultures. In the West, philosophers explored similar insights, yet these ideas remain largely inaccessible.

Given the mental health crisis among children—exacerbated by social media—it's baffling why mind training hasn’t become part of our school curricula.

This lack of accessibility to knowledge inspires our work: we wish to create stories we wish we had grown up with—stories that plant seeds of wisdom.

Help Us Spread the Seeds of Wisdom

If, like us, you're contemplating how to improve the world, please take a moment to spread seeds of wisdom.

When possible, advocate for Willow the Wonderer books:

Urge your local library to stock these books.
Share the books with your kids' teachers.
Ask your favorite bookstore to carry these titles and hand-sell them.
Consider buying paperback copies as birthday gifts for your kids’ friends. From an early age, children often value friend's advice over their parents. Ensure that wisdom is a part of the narrative they grow up with.
Share this with family and friends so that they experience FOMO regarding their children's reading choices. It's a positive FOMO to have!

You may think this sounds self-serving, and in all honesty, it is.

You’d be doing us a massive favor! This way, we won’t have to gamble time and resources on ineffective Facebook ads, which primarily fund Zuckerberg’s next yacht.

However, there’s a greater purpose.

All these collective efforts could help us nurture a future where our children don't need to pop pills for good mental health.

Will We Ever Sell Cabanas?

Absolutely not. Selling cabanas would lead to a slow inner demise for both of us.

Despite my complaints, we derive immense meaning from our work.

Darren and I began crafting stories filled with wisdom long before planning a publishing venture or entering eCommerce. We were destined to tell these stories because our hearts urged us to do so.

Rest assured, we are not starving artists—in fact, we’re doing quite well!

We genuinely want our books to reach more children, and it's clear we need help to achieve that.

So, if you can, please spread the word about Willow. If you know anyone who can assist, we would greatly appreciate an introduction.

Footnote: Buddha translates to "the enlightened one." It is not a reference to a deity but rather a title given to individuals who have refined their minds to the highest state—free from attachment and suffering. Many Buddhas have existed throughout history. The most familiar story is that of Siddhartha Gautama, credited with rediscovering mind training techniques lost to humanity for a time. This reverence comes from his insights and teachings, not as a god.