Hey, Gang!
I’m upstate. New York. Thinking.
It’s been a rough few days. When we have to repost an episode in memoriam it's always rough. I was totally surprised that Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. I would never have expected that. I guess I didn’t really know him and even if I did you just don’t know what is going on in someone’s heart or mind. He seemed to have it all. His heart was in the right place. He was righteous and outspoken but very humble and giving. He did so much to bring people together and he seemed to always be so engaged in life and living it. Who knows what made him decide to do that. It’s terribly sad.
What I realized when I reposted the episode is just how many people loved him and found hope in what he did and were inspired by his journey. His many journeys--as a writer, eater, cooker, explorer of the human experience in all forms and a radical speaker of truth to power. I think it’s hard for people who build relationships with people based on their public persona when something like this happens. Remember, you only know of them what they are making available. Their struggles are sometimes profoundly personal and their own. Try to keep your hope, if you have any left, intact. Have empathy and feel the grief but don’t assume you understand and project and personalize it and take on your idea of their struggles and make it your own. Especially if you are sensitive and prone to spiraling. We didn’t know. Remember him for the greatness. The episode we did in 2011 was a beautiful representation of who he was. I liked talking to him.
I am in Upstate NY visiting with Sarah the Painter’s family for a couple of days. Weather is perfect, the first strawberries are here and I’m dodging deer ticks. Tomorrow we are heading down to NYC. I will be appearing on Good Morning America on Wednesday and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday. I bought some new clothes I’ll be wearing. I forget why I don’t have nice clothes. They’re a pain in the ass to travel with—garment bags and more than one pair of shoes in the duffle. I figure I can dress up a little on TV. I’ve done it before but I just stopped because of the terrible fashion choices I have made over the years. You can go see decades of them at wtfpod.com in the video section.
Today I talk one of my favorite actors, Bob Balaban. Great talk. On Thursday me and Holly Hunter hash some stuff out. It was a trip having her over. Very intense. Great talk as well.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron