Musings from the Mountain: September 2006

I will probably always think of September as the Month of Untimely Deaths. Within a two-week period at the beginning of September, we have the anniversaries of three family members. We lost Jason's mom on September 3, 2000 at the age of 52. The following year, the WTC disaster of September 11 cut down thousands of people in their prime. Two years later, we were notified on September 10 that my mom was gone, also at the age of 52. Three years later on September 17, we lost Jason's grandmother suddenly, apparently as a result of illness picked up on a cruise ship. This year, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has been added to the list of untimely deaths at age 44.

It may seem silly to mourn someone you've never met in person, but the fact of the matter is that this guy was in our living room in the past four years far more than all of our friends and relatives put together. Addison is a lover of all things many-legged or no-legged. In fact, the more teeth and legs a creature has, the better, as far as he is concerned. Addison is a big fan of the Crocodile Hunter, as well as Rudd Kleinpaste of Buggin with Rudd, and Steve Corwin of Corwin's Quest. All of these folks taught us the importance of protecting our environment and not fearing predators, who have an important job to do.

Steve Irwin taught millions what we've been saying to friends and relatives for years, "don't kill your predators!" People piss and moan about how their gardens are overrun by rodents and deer. Well, duh, maybe that's because we've exterminated the predators who would've kept them in check! These same people will then go out and chop a black snake to bits because they are scared of it, not realizing that in doing so, they are interfering with nature's delicate balance. Clearly the world needs more people like Steve Irwin.

Thanks to people like Irwin, I am glad to say that Addison has a deep love of all creatures, especially those who are not considered cute and cuddly by most of us. He is able to see the beauty in spiders, snakes and crocodiles and understands their place in the food chain. I am proud to say that we never intentionally squish spiders and snakes around the house... although we do gently relocate some of the creepy crawlies that make their way into our house! I have often observed Addison out in the yard, oblivious to my presence, turning over rocks and doing his own little version of an Animal Planet show.

We have been watching the memorial service and showings of Steve's past shows and I am sorry to say that I don't think I ever fully appreciated the type of person he was until now. He was passionate, enthusiastic, and loved life. He was wide open, never seemed fake, and he described himself as being "flat out like a lizard drinking." We will miss the Crocodile Hunter.