"Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you. People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first."
-- Steve Irwin
I remember sitting up late, watching Steve Irwin's memorial service and sobbing. We enjoyed his shows when we caught them and thought he was fun, but I wouldn't say we were huge fans. What saddened me more than anything was his wife and the dry-eyed, soul-crushing grief on her face.
Their kind of relationship is one I recognize because I'm fortunate enough to have a similar one with my husband. Pragmatic and unromantic, to some people, but a merged life, the way it ought to be.
Terri Irwin's book is a matter-of-fact story of her life with The Crocodile Hunter. No self-pity, no romanticizing their life together. She leaves you in no doubt about the kind of man he was by simply documenting hundreds of events in which he proved his commitment to and love for the important things in his life. From standing down a half-dozen drunk croc killers to surfing building-high waves, from proposing to Terri ("So, do you want to get married?) to nearly mooning an American television network reporter, Steve Irwin was the man you saw on television plus some.
Nothing juicy or tell-all about this book, but a terrific tribute to a beloved naturalist and one I'd enthusiastically recommend.
