The Bourdainess Of It All

Devastated. Shocked.

I had just stepped out of the shower, wrapping my head in a towel, when I heard the news announcer on NPR say, "CNN is reporting the death of their 'Parts Unknown' host Anthony Bourdain, by apparent suicide. Bourdain, 61 was found in his hotel room in France." My stomach dropped and I had to sit down. I bawled.

How unfair that a man that lived for life has taken his own. You can think that you know a celebrity because of how much they let you in, but in Bourdain's case he had given fans the sense that he had taken them balls deep into his life. Tony was known for his honesty about his life, talking openly about his drug addiction and his personal downfalls.

Within the last year Bourdain had felt personal responsibility for how women had been treated while  they were working at The Spotted Pig, and that none of the women had felt that they could confide in him about what was going on. Stating in an article with Isaac Chotiner for Slate, "I've been hearing a lot of really bad shit, frankly, and in many cases it's like, wow, I've known some of these women and I've known women who've had stories like this for years and they've said nothing to me. What is wrong with me? What have I, how have I presented myself in such a way as to not give confidence, or why was I not the sort of person people would see as a natural ally here? So I started looking at that." Taking it as his personal obligation to these women shows what kind of man Tony was, he was always looking to better himself and make the world better for others, he wasn't one to shrug off self improvement and knowledge.

I went on many trips with Tony, followed him to the Congo, Beirut to Vietnam and back to the states, visiting what looked like a war torn country to the city of Detroit. He kept me company when I was on bedrest with my daughter, when I was sick or just plain bored for a little culture in my life. Tony took me to places that I, for the most part, could only imagine and he taught me that listening to people and letting them tell you about their lives, culture and sharing food opens up the world a whole hell of a lot wider and makes it a much better place. Tony showed that breaking bread with somebody that is completely opposite to you can bring                                                                            about so much understanding. He broke down walls just                                                                          by sitting, listening and eating.

I hope his daughter finds peace in knowing that her father was so well loved by the people he loved, the people he worked with, had meals with and the people that loved him. As Tony would say, "It was a site to behold."