Bourdain

I don`t take death well. Be it my goldfish, a crushed turtle in the street  that I had seen as a child, or a huge cricket that I had accidentally stepped on one old years eve when I was 17 in South Africa. I can still hear his shell crack. I still think of it-imagine!

Thus,  a perfect stranger`s death, like Anthony Bourdain really touched me as did the death of Leonard Cohen sometime back. Both lives and deaths shook me to my core. Both were great storytellers that captivated one`s imagination. One through travel the other through music.

Not that I was that fond of Bourdain-it would have been different if he was my lover or friend. Neither was I enthralled by many of the exotic dishes he was willing to consume in the name of  ‘culture’,  or the innumerable tattoos he had on his body, but he did put a face to people one never thinks about. People with different cultures that are lost in the tumult of the world-who live lives as we do. Who live and love exactly as we do. Die as we do. He was willing to relate their story and connect us  in so many ways and point out all the similarities-that thin thread of light that connects us all. He saw that special light in each one of us that we so often are blind to. He seemed  such a happy, fulfilled soul-but we all have a dark side that is locked away in the private vault of our soul. 

Thus it was with him. He most certainly was the last person I would have thought to have killed himself. I suppose we are all capable to do all kinds of things when push comes to shove-when we hurt so much that we cannot take it anymore. Actually it is rather a brave thing to do-for we all fear death, yet non of us will ever escape it. So, as Alan Watts said-'Dying is like going to sleep, but not waking up'. We all think about killing ourselves at one time or an other -the one who says 'never' is a liar.  But-we are just far scared to do it.

Sadly, yet one never knows the secrets the heart carries which has nothing to do with fame or fortune. He seemed to have had it all-but apparently he did not. He moved on unto a path unknown I guess,-I hope he has a wonderful trip and a peaceful one!