The 10 People I’d Like To Meet Before I Die

Life has blessed me to meet tons of fascinating people whose personalities range from one end of the spectrum to the next. I’ve met transgendered men, prostitutes, drug addicts, atheists, even designers, celebrities and models. Meeting new people is one of the most beautiful things in life because each individual is unique, each with a different set of beliefs, points of view and thoughts. I always find it pleasurable talking to people as I try to pick their brain and see what makes them tick. Below are 10 people I would like to meet before I die, people whose personalities are so amazing I just want to meet them:

10. Elizabeth Taylor

The woman got married eight times. Can she get any more fascinating? She must really be charming to be proposed to by seven men (she married Richard Burton twice). She even married Nicky Hilton, son of the founder of the Hilton chain of hotels. Charming or not, Elizabeth Taylor is without a doubt one of the most beautiful people on earth, a feat considering she lived in a time when plastic surgeons didn’t even exist.





9. Samantha Ronson

Samantha Ronson is this 31 year old chick who looks like a 12 year old boy. She’s famous in the circuit for being one of the hottest DJs, but to the world, she’s Lindsay Lohan’s girlfriend. I intially thought it was Ronson who was going gaga for L.L., but I got the shock of my life when I found out it was Lindsay who was pursuing Sam. What did Sam feed to Lindsay to make her switch teams? Curious. My most memorable scene of the two was when Sam walked out of a club and Lindsay was running after her (in heels, no less!) yelling, “Samantha Ronson, why are you doing this to me?!”



8. Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters is the ultimate journalist. She has interviewed prime ministers, actors, presidents (every American one since Richard Nixon), athletes, and socialites. The inside cover of her tell-all book Audition: A Memoir has the list of names she has interviewed and let me tell you, the font was small and it took both the front and back cover. Some of her interviewees include: Margaret Thatcher, Fidel Castro, Indira Ghandi, Hugo Chavez, Michael Jackson, Greg Louganis, Katharine Hepburn, Monica Lewinsky, Anna Wintour, Cher, Judy Garland, the Pregnant Man and many others.



7. Jean-Bedel Bokassa

Proclaimed himself emperor of the Central African Republic by holding a coronation similar to that of Queen Elizabeth’s. Spent £10 million on the event regardless of the fact that his country was ranked as one of the poorest in the world. Served butchered prisoners to unsuspecting guests at the feast and later killed a school of children when they refused to wear the prescribed uniform.





6. Stephen King

My favorite author, and at one point, the man of my dreams. Wrote classics such as Misery, Pet Sematary, It, ‘Salem’s Lot, Carrie, Firestarter, and many others. I have 21 of his books and counting. Has a very wild imagination matched only by his skills in writing. Has the ability to inspire terror under ordinary circumstances. There was an episode on Family Guy where he was asked by a publisher if he had any more stories. He looks around, obviously empty handed and grabs a lamp and claims it kills people.




5. Salvador Dali

My favorite painter. I believe painters paint their own version of reality and if Dali sees the world as he paints them in The Persistence of Memory and Les Elephants, I would love to see the world through his eyes. I wonder how he would see me. Thin, I hope.






4. Ben Chan

As far as entrepreneurship is concerned, Ben Chan is one of the best. Has great business acumen. He has branched out to selling all kinds of stuff which instantly becomes the latest trend. His idea to use the hottest celebrities as models was a good move. Need I mention the annual underwear show?






3. Anna Wintour

As editor-in-chief to Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour is the authority of fashion. She is the most powerful figure in the industry and she dictates what’s hot and what’s not. Such power can be overwhelming but she seems to do it with ease. Her power is so fierce that designers change an entire collection when it isn’t to her liking. And rumor has it she always wears sunglasses (very don’t-talk-to-me) during shows so no one would see her roll her eyes when she isn’t impressed.




2. Candace Bushnell

Candace Bushnell wrote the bible. It’s not holy, but it’s revered by single women everywhere. I’m talking about Sex & The City. I learned everything I needed to learn about dating through that show which is probably why I’m like Carrie Bradshaw. Single, alone, and writing to stay alive. The fashion choices are also beyond fabulous.





1. Madonna

Madonna’s on top of my list because not only does she make great music, she knows how to keep herself in the business. She has been in the industry for 28 years yet continues to generate airwaves and media attention. She has explored almost all genres from pop, dance, hip hop, R n’ B, gospel, electronica, and country. Her acting career isn’t as successful but that didn’t stop her from making books and teaming up with fashion designers to create special lines. In the biz, she is known to be a sharp businesswoman. Her ability to transform herself and her music is astounding that she has been rightfully dubbed the Queen of Reinvention.

Of course, my list doesn’t end there. My endless pursuit of interesting people are only limited by the number of people on this earth. Some of the other people I didn’t include but otherwise would still like to meet are: Coco Chanel, Erwin Tulfo, Victoria Beckham, Tim Burton, Kate Moss, Sigmund Freud, Chuck Palahniuk, Britney Spears, Zeus, Tallulah Bankhead, Louella Parsons, Joan Crawford, Stephen Hawking, Dakota Fanning, Marquis de Sade, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Karl Marx, Naomi Campbell, Johnny Depp, Jeffrey Dahmer, Patty Hearst, Jackie Onassis, and Paris Hilton.

How about you? Who are the people you’d like to meet before you die?