The Networking Question That Caught Me Off Guard

“If you could meet one person from the past, who would it be?”

It’s one of those light questions meant to pass the time at a networking event, just small talk to keep the energy moving.

But when someone tossed it out casually across the table, I found myself… stumped.

Some people had ready answers:
— A beloved grandparent.
— A revolutionary leader.
— A favorite author who left us too soon.

Me? I blanked.
Not because I didn’t have anyone in mind, but because I’d never really sat with the question before.

Later that evening, though, it lingered. And the longer I thought about it, the clearer my answer became.

David Bowie.

Of course.

Not just because of the music—though Let’s Dance and Under Pressure will forever live on my playlist.

But because of who he was beyond the music.

There was always something about Bowie that felt a little otherworldly—but also incredibly grounded.
He came across as a quiet genius.

🎧 In interviews, he was never loud. He didn’t need to be. There was a stillness to him—a self-assured curiosity that made him the most interesting person in the room without ever raising his voice.

📚 He was a voracious reader. Did you know he once shared his top 100 books? It’s still one of my favorite corners of the internet. He reportedly carried books with him everywhere—on tour, in transit, in those quiet in-between spaces.

🎭 And then there was the reinvention.
Ziggy Stardust.
The Thin White Duke.
The elder statesman of cool.

Bowie shape-shifted through decades of culture without ever chasing relevance.
In a world obsessed with being louder and doing more, he showed us what quiet evolution looks like.

I’ve always admired that kind of transformation—the kind that doesn’t announce itself but leaves a mark anyway.

And then there’s his relationship with Iman.
Graceful. Grounded. Built on mutual admiration.
I’ve admired Iman for years—so much so that I named my daughter after her.

So what would I ask Bowie if I had the chance to meet him?

Not about fame.
Not even about music.

I’d ask:
“Can I spend a day in your personal library and just talk books with you?”

Because I truly believe that what we read reveals more than what we say.

And behind all the personas and glitter and genius, I suspect I’d find David Jones—the deeply curious mind behind it all.