I've been to the edge, and there I stood and looked down. And then I turned around and walked away. I've been back for a few visits but have kept turning around. I lost a lot of friends there. Anthony and Ernest and Robin and so many others didn't turn back. It's easy for me to sympathize.<p>But maybe it's better to give them contempt. Moral opprobrium, disgrace, dishonor, could help the marginally committed to turn back.<p>Contempt for such great human beings, who did far more with their lives than I ever will? No. Just for one choice.<p>The ability to not sympathize with that choice is a blessing, an apple you may be better off not eating.
According to the article, prior to Bourdain's publication of <i>Kitchen Confidential</i> when he was in his early 40's, his outside-the-US travel experience consisted solely of a few trips to France as a child and one trip as an adult to Japan:<p>> He just talked about what traveling the world would be like for him. He had gone to France as a kid, he had gone to Japan once, and that was it.<p>The fact that Bourdain not only achieved massive professional success after toiling in obscurity well into his 40s, but more specifically became the most famous traveler in the world <i>after barely having traveled in 2+ decades of adult life</i> is pretty damn impressive. Definitely gives weight to the argument that "it's never too late"!
He taught us so much about the world, and still had so much more to show us.<p>I'm rarely saddened by celebrity deaths; Anthony Bourdain hit me right in the gut and it continues to hurt. Such a special person. Such a huge loss.<p>RIP Tony.
The news of his death kind of shocked me in that I had just stayed a few months earlier in the hotel[0] he died in... News article was a photo of the hotel and I was all recalling the great memories of the trip, until read the headline! :( Brutal!<p>Apparently it was his favorite hotel, which didn't surprise me to hear. If you ever get the chance, trust his (and my) judgement and at least visit the town of Kayserberg, France!<p>[0] <a href="https://www.lechambard.fr/en/" rel="nofollow">https://www.lechambard.fr/en/</a>
His death was tragic, shocking, sad and... helpful for me, in a way. This is a person who does almost all my worldly fantasies, in the way that I would hope to do them, and the cup goes dry still.