Like any writer or food lover or travel enthusiast or current or former service industry professional, the loss of Anthony Bourdain last week hit me pretty hard. I found Bourdain right around the time I started writing for this site back in 2010, and both things are pretty significant events in my personal history as a writer.
But that's not what this post is about.
There are a lot of ways to view Oklahoma. Some people love it, see nothing wrong with anything, and are happy to continue on as if nothing ever needs to change. Some people hate it, can't stand anything, and leave as soon as they possibly can. Most of us are ambivalent and exhausted. We're tired of showing up for a state that doesn't really ever seem to show up for us. We want to love this place and feel at home, but it's hard when there's a whole system in place that makes change or progress impossible.
I don't think this makes Oklahoma special. I do think, though, to see all this requires nuance, and it's the sort of nuance that most coastal media outlets don't afford us when they tell our story.
For some reason, I always thought that if Anthony Bourdain got to film a show here, it would be different. I always thought he could show Oklahoma City as a place that has changed drastically, even though local advertisements and politicians rarely acknowledge it.