Crikey...
I just watched "He Changed Our World: The Steve Irwin Memorial Tribute".
It still doesn't seem quite real, that this larger-than-life man, who was so enthusiastic about everything, is gone. To be so passionate about your work that you can smile and laugh over the pain of two broken bones is something that, sadly, most people will never experience.
As a poem by Rupert McCall which was read at the memorial said:
"Exploding forth with character and redefining cheek,
it's one thing to be honored as a warrior unique.
It's one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved,
it's another to be taken in and genuinely loved."
And though it cannot begin to make up for Steve's absence, Steve's father, sisters, wife and children know that he was, truly, loved by those who watched him. I have never met one single person who wasn't, in most cases, instantly affected by Steve's engaging television prescence, his wild and sometimes seemingly death-defying adventures. Additionally, his openness with his emotions, the ease and power with which he felt is something that is unfortunately lacking in many. From the excitement in his voice when he spoke about his wife, to the tenderness he showed with his children, to the tears he wept openly when talking about his mother, this was a man who should serve as an example to all about how to be more honest with our emotions.
Bob Irwin(his dad) and Terri were there, of course, still devastated by the loss of their son and husband. Steve's friend of nearly thirty years, Wes "This is Wes, me best mate" Mannion broke down at the podium. Hundreds of men, women and children in the crowd, Steve's longtime fans and visitors, wept and sobbed openly. Baby Bob was unconcerned(perhaps it's best that he won't really remember his father), and Bindi...
A friend who watched this with me wondered aloud how she was so collected. I replied that, quite simply, this was literally what she had been born for. Steve and Terri knew that, no matter how dedicated their employees might be, they would need to ensure the future of Austraila Zoo, of the saltwater crocodile research that Bob and later Steve pioneered, of the massive conservation efforts that Steve used a sizable portion of the spoils of his fame to support. To do this, they had to have a child. From the time she was an infant, Bindi was around animals, much as her father had been. In raising their little girl that way, Steve and Terri excised all fear from her, and instilled in her the dedication, the passion for wildlife that they shared with each other. The legacy of the Crocodile Hunter will be carried on by that "little girl"(which is what Bindi means in Aborigine) who has already made the decision to dedicate her life to her daddy's work. And through it all, Terri will be there, coping with her loss as best she can while raising her children; Bob will be there, teaching Bindi everything he taught Steve, just as he will later teach his namesake grandson. And I believe that because of Steve's passion, his enthusiasm, his filmed adventures and his love for all wildlife, his legacy - of conservationism, protection and education - will endure long after he is gone.
It still doesn't seem quite real, that this larger-than-life man, who was so enthusiastic about everything, is gone. To be so passionate about your work that you can smile and laugh over the pain of two broken bones is something that, sadly, most people will never experience.
As a poem by Rupert McCall which was read at the memorial said:
"Exploding forth with character and redefining cheek,
it's one thing to be honored as a warrior unique.
It's one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved,
it's another to be taken in and genuinely loved."
And though it cannot begin to make up for Steve's absence, Steve's father, sisters, wife and children know that he was, truly, loved by those who watched him. I have never met one single person who wasn't, in most cases, instantly affected by Steve's engaging television prescence, his wild and sometimes seemingly death-defying adventures. Additionally, his openness with his emotions, the ease and power with which he felt is something that is unfortunately lacking in many. From the excitement in his voice when he spoke about his wife, to the tenderness he showed with his children, to the tears he wept openly when talking about his mother, this was a man who should serve as an example to all about how to be more honest with our emotions.
Bob Irwin(his dad) and Terri were there, of course, still devastated by the loss of their son and husband. Steve's friend of nearly thirty years, Wes "This is Wes, me best mate" Mannion broke down at the podium. Hundreds of men, women and children in the crowd, Steve's longtime fans and visitors, wept and sobbed openly. Baby Bob was unconcerned(perhaps it's best that he won't really remember his father), and Bindi...
A friend who watched this with me wondered aloud how she was so collected. I replied that, quite simply, this was literally what she had been born for. Steve and Terri knew that, no matter how dedicated their employees might be, they would need to ensure the future of Austraila Zoo, of the saltwater crocodile research that Bob and later Steve pioneered, of the massive conservation efforts that Steve used a sizable portion of the spoils of his fame to support. To do this, they had to have a child. From the time she was an infant, Bindi was around animals, much as her father had been. In raising their little girl that way, Steve and Terri excised all fear from her, and instilled in her the dedication, the passion for wildlife that they shared with each other. The legacy of the Crocodile Hunter will be carried on by that "little girl"(which is what Bindi means in Aborigine) who has already made the decision to dedicate her life to her daddy's work. And through it all, Terri will be there, coping with her loss as best she can while raising her children; Bob will be there, teaching Bindi everything he taught Steve, just as he will later teach his namesake grandson. And I believe that because of Steve's passion, his enthusiasm, his filmed adventures and his love for all wildlife, his legacy - of conservationism, protection and education - will endure long after he is gone.
posted by FirstOfTheFallen at 6:06 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home