Something struck me this morning when I woke up and read about Anthony Bourdain. A lot of people were commenting that his TV shows were more than just travel or food shows. I think that’s correct. It would have been easy, even expected, for a celebrity chef to produce yet another self indulgent fantasy of decadence, totally unattainable for the vast majority of the audience. Instead, he used his success to remind us of our humanity. He showed the people behind the kitchen doors who cook the food, wash the dishes, and hustle to survive. He shared meals and spoke with people as equals. In light of the tragic news, it was very heartening to see that so many people got that.
Depression is a sadistic motherfucker and it will do everything it can to literally drain the life out of a person. Many of us struggle with this. It is brutal and terrifying and the urge to surrender can be overwhelming. I’m not an expert. I’m not an academic or a professional anything. Really I’m just another asshole with strong opinions and some funny stories. With that disclaimer, I would like to offer up a few tips for life that I think are somewhat Bourdainian, and in my experience, very helpful.
Living in this world is much better when we are able to extinguish our base fears. Fear of the unknown, fear of “the other” whatever that is, it’s a trap. Take a walk in a neighborhood or city you’ve never been to. Don’t make a plan, just walk. You will find your way. Talk to a stranger. Talk to someone who doesn’t share your native language. You will quickly find that the desire to communicate and connect goes far beyond the limits of language. Recognize the humanity in everyone you encounter. They may not look like you or talk like you or share all of the same cultural reference points. This is good. We all have a lot to learn from one and other.
Listen more. Talk less. Eat good food.
RIP to a real one.
Depression is a sadistic motherfucker and it will do everything it can to literally drain the life out of a person. Many of us struggle with this. It is brutal and terrifying and the urge to surrender can be overwhelming. I’m not an expert. I’m not an academic or a professional anything. Really I’m just another asshole with strong opinions and some funny stories. With that disclaimer, I would like to offer up a few tips for life that I think are somewhat Bourdainian, and in my experience, very helpful.
Living in this world is much better when we are able to extinguish our base fears. Fear of the unknown, fear of “the other” whatever that is, it’s a trap. Take a walk in a neighborhood or city you’ve never been to. Don’t make a plan, just walk. You will find your way. Talk to a stranger. Talk to someone who doesn’t share your native language. You will quickly find that the desire to communicate and connect goes far beyond the limits of language. Recognize the humanity in everyone you encounter. They may not look like you or talk like you or share all of the same cultural reference points. This is good. We all have a lot to learn from one and other.
Listen more. Talk less. Eat good food.
RIP to a real one.
