Anthony Bourdain Remembered
- from Mackenzie Dorward
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- Cedar Cliff Sentinel
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- 1503 views
"As you move through this life and this world, you change things slightly; you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life--and travel--leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks--on your body or on your heart--are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt,” said Anthony Bourdain, a chef, food critic, author, world traveler, and humanitarian who died by suicide on June 8, 2018, at the age of 61. He was a revolutionary in the food industry and the human experience; he knew the bittersweetness of life and used it to his advantage.
Bourdain traveled the world on his award winning CNN series Parts Unknown. He used the platform to showcase the great diversity of cultures and cuisine around the world, while also demonstrating how closely related all people are, reported CNN. He often said, "You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together." Bourdain’s mission was to unite people around the world and bring us all closer together.
Bourdain received countless nominations and awards for Parts Unknown and his other television series, as well as having written many bestsellers throughout his lifetime. Bourdain had a magnetic energy that kept his audience coming back and hanging on his every word in anticipation of what he would do next.
Bourdain lived to discover the unknown with his audience and show them that it’s often where the greatest pleasure in life lies. He believed, "Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, and moribund." Former President Barack Obama said because of his willingness to encounter the unfamiliar, “He taught us about food -- but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown.”
Anthony Bourdain, his outlook on life, his desire to discover, to immerse himself in other cultures, and to unite all people, has been a tragic loss to the world. Bourdain lived his life and enjoyed it in a way that many are unable to experience; he took chances, and did not look back. He left a positive impact on the world and on the lives of those he touched.
"[When I die], I will decidedly not be regretting missed opportunities for a good time. My regrets will be more along the lines of a sad list of people hurt, people let down, assets wasted, and advantages squandered."
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