Steve Irwin, R.I.P.
As a child, I watched wildlife shows with my father quite frequently. Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, National Geographic specials, and my favorite from that time: Jacques Cousteau.
Something about those shows always captivated me. I suppose it's because in our ever-growing urban environment it's difficult to see wildlife up close. Those shows helped to take us on wild safaris and ocean expeditions that, otherwise, we could only dream of going on.
Steve Irwin did one better. He didn't just draw me into his world, he made his world part of mine. He spoke so passionately and with such wide-eyed wonder about such a range of subjects that it made one feel as if they were actually right there with him. He could hold an audience captive simply by being himself. His passion and zeal for life and the causes he believed in were enormous. This man wasn't just larger than life; he was an abundance of life that flowed into whomever he came in contact with. He was fearless. He studied his entire life to replace fear with consciousness, and if that doesn't speak volumes about life in general, I don't know what does. I will truly miss Steve Irwin, but his legacy and his passion for life will live on through me and hopefully countless others that saw the beauty in him.
