WHAT DEFINES YOU?
Alex Gibney's documentary on the life of "Gonzo" Hunter S. Thompson suggests that Thompson, "who committed suicide in 2005, survives to some degree in the popular imagination because of his self-burnished reputation for excess." (A.O. Scott, "Beyond Fear and Loathing", The New York Times, July 4, 2008)
In life and in death, Hunter Thompson was and is defined by his excesses.
We may be defined by many things. Some of us are defined by our ethnic heritage as reflected in continued traditions, the way we cook and eat, even our accents define us. Some of us are defined by our appearance. Some are defined by strengths and others by their weaknesses. We may be defined by our work. Sometimes we are defined by our spouses or our children. Here at church, Bonnie is defined as Pastor Monty's wife... at her work, I am defined as Bonnie's husband.
I once knew a man who drove a bull wagon... he was a livestock hauler and he drove a cattle truck. He always wore a big floppy, rawhide, cowboy hat. It looked hot and heavy. I did not think it particularly flattering. One day I asked him why he always wore his rawhide
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