Of all the things that stand out for me about the late Steve Irwin, aka the Crocodile Hunter, was the fact that at the end of the day he was a family man.  He had two children and a wife.  The youngest of his children is my son’s age, and that little boy will never be able to fully know the man behind what is certain to become a myth.

I think most guys, black or white, have spent at least an hour of their lives watching the Crocodile Hunter do his thing.  He was nothing if not entertaining.  He lived a life that many of us envied; one of world travel and fame.  But at what cost?  He left behind a family to trudge on without him.  Sure he probably left a pile of money (he must have been well insured at the very least), but how much is a dad’s life worth?  At what point do you fall back from your life’s passions to ensure that you be there for your family?  Or is there no such point?  I will not pretend to know the answer to that question. 

I hope Mr. Irwin’s wife and kids can find peace in knowing that he died living life.