The one person I would have lunch with, dead or alive

Over the years, I remember being asked the question “If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be” a number of times. Whether it was high school, college or just random conversations with friends, that question came up a lot and I always remember that I never had a real answer to it. It wasn’t that I couldn’t answer the question, because at any given time I could name an athlete, musician or historical figure that I probably would like to have lunch with. It was more the idea that even though there were a number of people that would be great to have lunch with, there wasn’t anybody that inspired me enough to truly be that one person to have lunch with.

So the other week, I watched the movie Gonzo at Axelman’s place, and it became clear to me that Hunter S. Thompson would be that one person that I would have lunch with. His writings have inspired me to write from the first time I read any of his works. He was a true genius in every sense of the word, and it comes out in his writing. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes dark, sometimes downright ridiculous, his works contain a certain truth and wisdom that you just don’t find from most writers. He used words that most people need a dictionary to understand, and his words jump off a page like nobody I’ve ever read. He was responsible for creating his own form of journalism, Gonzo, and the amount of authors that he has influenced over the years is overwhelming.

Watching that movie made me realize just how far his voice traveled through all walks of life, from him talking about football while driving in a car with Richard Nixon to him running for Sheriff of Aspen to him hanging out with Jimmy Buffet. It seems like Hunter knew any and every well known/famous/political person going back to the late 60s if not earlier, and it is amazing to see just how genuinely touched these people were by him. His words and his voice have been an influence on people for decades and decades, and his legacy will live on for generations.

So to anyone out there who is not familiar with the works of the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, I recommend going to your nearest bookstore and picking up any of his books, or checking online for one of a countless number of articles for Rolling Stone and other periodicals. I promise you, you’ve never read anything like it.