A Small Revisit From a Thought, 2018.
Essay - 00004.
I finally got around to reading the GQ article, "The Last Curious Man". Gut wrenching on so many levels. I've lost a best friend to suicide, a close family member among far too many others in my life. I put Anthony Bourdain in that group, close. Of course I, like most of us, didn't know him personally but Bourdain had a fascinating way of quietly holding a mirror when I think about my own life and career. I have a giant picture of him framed and hanging in my kitchen, holding a beer, and flipping the bird with this expression that just sort of humbles me. Almost like he's saying, "The best is yet to come, get back to work, you ain't done shit yet kid.". I love the thought of that.
There's a difference between a mentor and role model. A mentor remains a constant, a mentor is that person that helps us wake up everyday and put on our shoes because the world won't wait for you to win the lottery. A role model is different, a role model shows us what's out there once we have those shoes tied and step into the world. Bourdain is my role model. He's not there to help me get those shoes on every morning, but he's definitely the guy I think about when looking at my life's map. He the guy that showed me how to button my jacket, put on a nice watch, and enjoy that fucking steak. A role model.
It gives me a great hope to think about where he was when his career began to shift. He was into his 40's before his calling took hold. I spent most of my life in restaurants while quietly building upon the person I'm meant to be after working a long shift. Purpose finds you through passion. I think I learned, and saw that so clearly in Bourdain. I think that has seeped into my pores, and I sweat it everyday I go to work. We find parallels in our role models, and I could not ask for a better one. The best is yet to come.
https://www.gq.com/story/anthony-bourdain-men-of-the-year-tribute
(Originally written late 2018. Unedited for the original post.)