A World without the Crocodile Hunter

What do you do when you wake up to find that you live in a world without the Crocodile Hunter?  Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray yesterday, but it's hard to believe you haven't heard already, because it's being covered like the death of a head of state.  I keep expecting Ted Koppel to break into regular network programming.

It's one of those things that's shocking to hear, and yet we all saw it coming.  It kind of reminds me of the early demise of Chris Farley in that way. It's funny how, even though some people will exhibit the most insane behavior possible, we still go on believing that they, and we, will live forever anyway.

I've already read some blog posts speculating that Irwin had a death wish. Quite frankly, he doesn't seem like a death wish kind of guy to me. Crazy, yes; reckless, yes. But he seemed to have great love for his family, his job, and even all the creepy, stingy, bitey things that he hung around with all the time.  Unlike Chris Farley, he wasn't using his wild public behavior to salve some inner wound.  Heck, it wasn't just in public; he was like that all the time.  He wasn't self-destructive; he was just a guy whose attitude was, "Hey, none of this has killed me yet, so why worry?"

As soon as babies learn to walk, they immediately start to run. Toddlers don't spend the first years of their lives walking slowly and cautiously, concentrating on their balance, gripping every handrail.  They figure out the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other part, then they just take off.  They're exhilarated by the motion, and they haven't yet internalized the dangers.  They don't think about running into things or tripping and falling because it hasn't happened that much yet.  And sure, it's more mature to be aware of stuff like that, and to moderate your behavior accordingly.  But, ah, to heedlessly run...

P.S. - See a good post on what the Croc Hunter meant to some people at the Ace of Spades HQ.

Tags: Steve Irwin  Crocodile Hunter