Steve Irwin would have turned 52 years old last month. He died, tragically, at the age of 44 years. Stung by a giant stingray around 8 feet long. The photographer with Steve that day is giving interviews, which puts Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, back in the news.
It turns out his last words were, “I’m dying.” That must have been a startling and shocking realization for Steve. I feel sorry for his wife, a former American citizen and now a proud Aussie along with his son and daughter, whom Steve left behind.
First impressions are a funny thing. As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make one. I remember the first time I saw Steve Irwin on television in the USA. I got an an unfavorable first impression. I was probably the only one. But I remember thinking, clearly, “Leave the poor crocodile alone.” As he was jumping on its back, tying it up, hooding its head and carting it away somewhere for some good reason in the middle of the night. Steve Irwin won me over with time. He was a likable bloke. He really was. My favorite video image of him is when he was a young boy, shown with his dad. He’s rolling around in the dirt, having fun and there was some kind of animal involved. I cannot remember which kind but it wasn’t a puppy. Among the things I got to like about Steve Irvin, a lot, was his friendship for the ocean’s sharks and his outspokenness about the deplorable shark fin harvesting that still goes on to this day. I believe less shark fin harvesting goes on now, because of people like Steve Irvin.
Steve Irwin has been dead around 7 1/2 years. He had a scheduled trip to Thailand the month after he died. He never made it here for that planned trip. The elephant camp that he was to visit paid a tribute to Steve as only elephants can do. Here is a picture from that tribute.
We are all dying at one rate or another. We don’t always think about it or say it aloud like Steve Irwin, but maybe we should more often? I have a couple of planned trips in the next three months. I hope I make it to the destinations. I only have so much control over that. I’ll do my best. But we can all plan to go somewhere or do something to cross off the bucket list before the bucket is kicked. It’s the thinking about the dead and the dying that reminds me to live as best as I can, while I still can. Thank-you, Steve Irwin for living the life you wanted to live.
This post may also be seen at Thailand Footprint