Croc Hunter: Irresponsible Parent?

First of all let me say that for years I have been a huge fan of Steve Irwin and his teachings. Having a six year old son myself, I found The Crocodile Hunter, Croc Files, and the like a fair yet entertaining balance between what he would like to watch (Cartoon Network) and what I'd prefer (anything other than Cartoon Network). Irwin became a mutual hero for us. In short, I loved the guy. I loved what he did for nature; he was a bridge connecting humanity and the not-so-popular creatures sharing this magical space with us. And talk about attitude! Have you ever seen someone get so excited about an insect or worm? The world is by far a better place because of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, there's no doubt about it; but at what price to his family?

I am currently 35 years old. I lived on my own as early as 15. Now there are things that I did 'back in the day' that to me now are simply absurd. Just thinking of some of the dumb, irresponsible, (don't forget fun) stuff I thought was a good enough idea at the time (including ironically, tempting & swimming with alligators) makes me want to slap my son now-before he tries it all.

As I matured (ok, so maybe it took a while), some of the more unintelligent ideas fell by the wayside as a new list of 'things I want to do' began to form within. Owning a motorcycle (which in tourist filled Orlando, Fl is similar to Russian roulette), skydiving, bungee-jumping, so on went the list. I was in no real rush to achieve it all, seemed I had all the time in the world.

Then one day (May 15th 2000 to be exact) I had feelings flowing through me that I could not have imagined even existing prior. I know what it's like to hear "If you don't have a child, you just don't know", and just lumping it into the 'stuff people say for the heck of it' category. Take it from me, it is true. It's a different set of feelings completely. Love for one's child is above all else, or at least in my opinion should be.

Now before I go on, I must also admit that I have been accused here and there of being a bit... over analytical or even paranoid. I mean I analyze a lot, probably too much in many cases. On the plus side, I do not often find myself 'in questionable situations' anymore (As I said earlier, there was a time when I embodied the word questionable) and often are prepared when situations suddenly arise. With that in mind, I've found it to be my responsibility as a parent to 'put off' or even eliminate some of my 'things I want to do' list. When considering I use this simple formula: Is the reward to me in a best case scenario worth the cost to my son in a worst case scenario? For instance, does "the feeling of extreme excitement I'd get from skydiving" outweigh "my son watching his dad bounce off the earth at 125 mph and no longer having a mentor, teacher, someone to play catch with, etc."

Now I hear a lot of you rumbling now, "You can't just go through life scared something terrible is going to happen." Or "That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

In both cases, I agree... to a point. I live and appreciate my life each and every day. But there must always be a balance...between work and family, between responsibility and play, and also between personal gratification and parental responsibility. Those of you without childAs far as being extreme, I stated earlier that I use both the best and worst case scenarios when determining weather or not an activity is "worth it".

"But how does this pertain to Irwin? He didn't continuously put himself in harms way for self gratification; he did so for the relationship between humanity and nature." Assuming this is the case (I mean who can argue that the guy genuinely cared about animals that would just assume have us for lunch) the question then becomes: Where do your responsibilities to 'humanity vs. nature' stop and your responsibilities to your family start?

"My Daddy was my hero - he was always there for me when I needed him. He listened to me and taught me so many things, but most of all he was fun. I know that Daddy had an important job. He was working to change the world so everyone would love wildlife like he did."
-A quote from 8 year old Bindi Sue Irwin at her father's public memorial service on 9/20/2006.*source: Wikipedia

This incredibly touching quote from young Bindi touches on both sides of the aforementioned topics. While the importance of his work to the world and wildlife was addressed, what affected me the most were the first couple sentences. Her daddy will now NEVER be there for her when she needs him. He will not again (at least in body) listen to her, nor will he teach her anything he hasn't to this point. The fun with daddy is over. Harsh? Perhaps, but true nonetheless. Again I ask, was it worth it?

"My number one rule is to keep that camera rolling. Even if it's shaky or slightly out of focus, I don't give a rip. Even if a big old alligator is chewing me up I want to go down and go, 'Crikey!' just before I die. That would be the ultimate for me."
-Steve Irwin *source: Wikipedia

"(She is) the reason I was put on the Earth."
-Steve Irwin on daughter Bindi Sue *source: Wikipedia