I was introduced to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy during my high school years, I think by my girlfriend at the time (thanks KL!). It, and the entire series, quickly became one of my favorite "entertainment entities", along with the various works of Monty Python, anything Star Wars, and most things Star Trek. I learned so much from the stories of Mr. Adams that I don't think I would be the person I am today without having been introduced to his work. I learned the meaning of (life, the universe, and) everything, how to fly, God's final message, who the smartest creatures on Earth really are, the importance of towels, and so much more. I definitely think I'd be in a worse place in life right now were it not for the Guide and its author.
So as you might imagine, it was an honor for me to have met Mr. Adams back in the almost-Spring of 2000, while at a technical conference in San Francisco. He delivered an amazingly humorous keynote address, and afterwords he signed autographs. I was disappointed in myself for not having thought to bring my Guide with me for him to sign, so I had to settle for using the speaker bio in our conference binder.
A year later, my honor fed into sadness as I learned of the untimely death of Mr. Adams (is he Sir Adams yet? If not, he really should be). But I'm glad the movie they referenced in the bio (which they noted as being released in 2001) finally came to pass. It opens in theaters today, and I hope to see it very soon. It will be interesting to see how his ideas were translated to the screen, without his direct advisement (as I'm sure would have happened had he not passed on).
We miss you Douglas Adams. But at least your legacy carries on to keep you fresh in our minds, hopefully inspiring a whole new generation of hitchhikers.
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