I've been sitting here staring at the screen for the better part of 2 hours now. I don't know what to write. I know I'm a cruel bastard when it comes to death, I feel it's inevitable, and why get bent out of shape ? But now I sit here stunned. Because the bastard wasn't supposed to die. Zevon was hard enough, and I know a lot of great people die, but somehow, Hunter managed to have a special place in the mortal universe, and I for one, thought he'd out live me.
Hunter, for good or ill, proved to me and the world that you could beat the system. That you could be whatever you want and say whatever you wanted. And as crazy or uncomfortable you made people feel, they just had to take it.
He simply didn't care what people thought, but he would tale all kinds of extreme measures to at least make you THINK.
And he had the most important part of being a loose cannon and surviving, he knew what he was talking about. He never started a column with "well I think..." he KNEW. He made is abundantly clear that he had done the work, knew his topic, and no matter how bizzare it may be presented, if you wanted the straight dope, he had it.
Last night I was working, and sneaking a look though Rolling Stone magazine, where I saw shots of Depp playing Wonka, and then I saw a picture of Depp with Thompson, and I proudly said "there's a guy that has done it all, and will do whatever he wants, and manage to do it as long as he wants. Rules don't apply to HST."
Some of you know how much I love and respect Hunter, some would even blame some of my stupidity to trying to emulate his lifestyle, either way I can only say one thing right now, and then I have t mull over what to really say.
Hunter has done some crazy shit in his day, some real, some probably imagined, but there's one thing that has always remained a constant, he NEVER did anything he didn't believe in. So, for whatever reason, Hunter made this decision, and as cold as I may sound, I believe he did what he wanted to do. And that, my dear readers, is Hunter's way.
Harry
"Hunter was the pole around which trouble would occur. He was a good-looking boy who could out-think you and out-perform you. But I believe he had great sadness. He was a serious, important child. Chairman of the Board of the gang. He knew how to bestow attention. His approval was extremely important because he had so many skills. And so you spent your whole time bouncing up and down waiting for Hunter to approve." --- JOHN BRUTON, childhood friend of HST; South American Businessman
