A columnist in the O.C. Register had an essay today on the death of Steve Irwin.
It started off badly when she said she wasn't a fan of his, because of that
little baby-croc issue. Now I don't know if there is an actuarial table that lists
the probability of death while being held by a crocodile hunter while he feeds a croc,
but I imagine it has to be less than a mother applying lipstick whilst she drives the
little tyke to day care. I know if I were a baby, I'd rather be dangled in front
of a crocodile in the hands of Steve Irwin, than held on a balcony by Michael Jackson!
She went on to make the point that most people don't have something they love to do so much that they'd be happy to die while doing it. I don't think Steve Irwin had a death wish, I just think he loved his life so much, it was contagious. She made the point that he was probably grinning from ear to ear, right before the nasty encounter with the barb.
That's the grin I've had on my face as I've paddled home these last few paddles. Almost makes me leary of paddling with Ken and BARB!!! I don't want to die kayaking any time soon, but it seems there are a lot worse ways to go.
Reevaluating my launch time.
If I had gotten a picture of some of the abuse I took today, I'd be a legend! Well, at least in my own mind. It was hard to get a picture today; the waves were forming big and fast and by the time I got the camera ready I was being pounded!
I waited for a lull in the bigger waves and tried backing my way to shore as I was becoming rather leary of the big waves. Everything was fine until a miniscule wave met a little backwash and sent me window shading into shore.
Oh well, one more thing to check off on my kayaking "Things I want to accomplish" list!
Mark Sanders
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