Reflections
Two great Australians died today.
Colin Thiele & Steve Irwin.
I pay my private respects to them both and pause for reflection.
Two very different people, two different lengths of life, but both very influential in their own way. And both still with much to say no doubt that will now remain unsaid.
Of course it says something about our society that the commercial news services lead with Steve Irwin's passing and one of Australia's greatest writers comes a long way down the bulletins.
Steve Irwin is an example of a particular type of personality. The psychologists and career counsellors have names for these things, but I just refer to these people as 'risk takers'.
Some people have to live life on the edge, be it extreme sports, dealing with dangerous wild life, climbing mountains, driving fast cars, bikes, planes, experimenting with drugs and or sex. They are out there and the odds of living to three score and ten are not good for these people.
They are usually men, though probably not exclusively. and a few hundred years ago they would have never lived past forty as they always lead the battle charges and go exploring into the unknown. These aren't actually the great minds of each generation, these are the doers, the movers and shakers. Most of us admire them for having the guts and often stupidity to do what we would never dare.
And this is part of the reason why Steve Irwin's demise is a lead story. Most people would guess that something like this would eventually happen to him, but when it finally does it is important. Another Icarus crashes in flames. another Alexander does not live to enjoy the fruits of his labour. He dies as he has lived, fast and dangerously, and we salute him.
That's just my view fwiw.
Colin Thiele & Steve Irwin.
I pay my private respects to them both and pause for reflection.
Two very different people, two different lengths of life, but both very influential in their own way. And both still with much to say no doubt that will now remain unsaid.
Of course it says something about our society that the commercial news services lead with Steve Irwin's passing and one of Australia's greatest writers comes a long way down the bulletins.
Steve Irwin is an example of a particular type of personality. The psychologists and career counsellors have names for these things, but I just refer to these people as 'risk takers'.
Some people have to live life on the edge, be it extreme sports, dealing with dangerous wild life, climbing mountains, driving fast cars, bikes, planes, experimenting with drugs and or sex. They are out there and the odds of living to three score and ten are not good for these people.
They are usually men, though probably not exclusively. and a few hundred years ago they would have never lived past forty as they always lead the battle charges and go exploring into the unknown. These aren't actually the great minds of each generation, these are the doers, the movers and shakers. Most of us admire them for having the guts and often stupidity to do what we would never dare.
And this is part of the reason why Steve Irwin's demise is a lead story. Most people would guess that something like this would eventually happen to him, but when it finally does it is important. Another Icarus crashes in flames. another Alexander does not live to enjoy the fruits of his labour. He dies as he has lived, fast and dangerously, and we salute him.
That's just my view fwiw.