Change the world and have fun while you’re at it

I recently caught (pun intended) the Steve Irwin Memorial Show as broadcast on Animal Planet. While I cannot claim to have been a big Irwin fan, I can say that his antics did compel me to watch Animal Planet every now and then.

It’s all very easy for someone to become cynical, sputtering sardonic diatribes while lacking any true passion for life (need proof? Just peruse some of the blogs out there.)

Steve on the other hand was passionate about life and lived it to its fullest potential without any of that nonsense. His incredible zest for life extended beyond his own, all the way to villified creatures such as crocodiles. What’s more, he changed the world in a big way by spreading and acting upon his message of conservation, all the while having fun and sharing that fun with the rest of the world.

He’s not with us now, but Steve’s set an example for us all. He had a great passion for his work, he developed a small reptile park into a major zoo, he spread a message of conservation while also practicing it, and he had a wonderful supporting wife and kids to top it all of.

Rest in peace, Steve.

• television