On life, the universe and everything

\"Dearest Anderson High School freaks, I bring sad tidings" e-mailed a friend of mine from Purdue Sunday morning. Attached was a link to the British Broadcasting Company Web site. Once there, I was deeply saddened to see that one of my all-time favorite writers, Douglas Adams, died of a heart attack Friday in Santa Barbara, Calif. The most tragic part of the news, for me, is that Adams was only 49.\nHe wrote "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and its sequels, some of the most hilarious books I've ever read. I was introduced to his works by some friends of mine in high school. They convinced me to read Adams even though I'm not a big fan of science fiction writing. But Hitchhiker's isn't about aliens or androids, although the works include both, it's about irony, humor, sarcasm, creativity and the bumblings of the human race in general. And, of course, it's also about the meaning of life. Those of you who know Adams' works will smile with me as I recall how the meaning of life is, simply enough, the number 42.\nThe characters in Adams novels, even if they aren't of this world, are all very human. Adams writing is highly entertaining and touching, and it's a shame he died so young. He was working on several projects at the time of his death, according to the BBC, and unfortunately, the world won't be able to experience more of his creative spirit.\nAs I have written columns, news stories, plays, short stories and poems during the past few years, I have struggled to find my literary voice. Different genres have allowed me to explore different writing styles, and my writing has been strongly influenced by my favorite authors. My short stories have been influenced by Daphne du Maurier, my poems by Sylvia Plath and my plays by Christopher Fry. My columns, in all their light-hearted and (I try to make them) humorous glory, have been shaped by among other influences, Douglas Adams.\nI love the fact that his books are about everything and nothing at the same time. While laughing through a passage in "Life, the Universe and Everything," I often find that I'm laughing about the shortcomings and triumphs of the human race. That's pretty big stuff. Adams can describe a random phone booth and the life of Jesus Christ in one paragraph without missing a beat. I so admire the way he can "sneak up" on a reader with a profound message in a whimsical passage.\nAs I write this, I stop and realize that the last paragraph I wrote about Adams should be in the past tense. And that saddens me. I never met Douglas Adams, just as I never met Frank Sinatra, Princess Diana, Charles Shulz or Phil Hartman. But their lives and deaths still have touched me. \nIt's funny how people can influence a life without ever entering into it. Authors, politicians, musicians, artists, performers and public figures entertain and inspire us every day. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that they're only humans.\nBut "only humans" is an oxymoron, as Adams writing often reminds me. The people who inspire us do so because they bring out the best in human nature. Actors who touch our lives are often the ones who remind us of ourselves and our experiences. We find ourselves in the pages of a novel by Fannie Flagg, a play by William Shakespeare. The most beautiful artwork by Michelangelo is simply depicting the human body.\nSo to Douglas Adams and all the men and women whose works have inspired my writing and my life, "so long, and thanks for all the fish"