Crocodile Insiprations

Ok, it has been a week since Steve Irwin has died and I can't stop thinking about it from so many angles. At first I was saddened that he was gone and I felt really really bad for his family. That last this is what really sticks with me. His leaving feels like there is a void, a hole in the fabric of our entire world.

Well, this weekend Sophia and I went to the library. I went looking for yet another travell book to continue my daydreams of again traveling and exploring. Totally by accident I looked up and saw the Steve and Terri Irwin biography (The incredible Life and Adventures of Steve and Terri Irwin). Seeing this bright bold book hidden away in the back of our amazing crappy library I knew it was fate wanting me to read this book. Even before I began reading it, I knew it was a special book. Sophia was drawn to it. She loved seeing stev on the cover and got very excited when I began fllipping the pages to show her the crocodiles. She then said "alligator". Of course it sounded more like "al gay" but I knew exactly what she meant. I grew even more excited and began finding every alligator this of hers I could find. Now, I realized it is "Crocodile Hunter" and all the "alligators" were really crocs...but whatever. Besides, here in Florida alligators are a common occurance.

I soon had her playing with her plastic alligator and identifing Alligators in the "Tails" book. I put her into her alligator costume (a little too small since it is 12mo). To continue our alligator lesson, we watched the Charlie and Lola episode "But I am an Alligator". Then today the fun continued as she pretended to be an alligator in the wave pool at Cypress Gardens.

Besides all that fun, I was able to finish the Steve and Terri Irwin book. I just couldn't put it down. Among all the family stories, crazy croc captures, and general sadness in retrospect the book left me with a sense of mission. It made me thnk back to my goals and dreams as a child and young adult.

Since I was little, I had loved animals. However, I never had many growing up. I remember in the second grade tellinng the class how I wanted to be Vetrinarian. Every summer I was at our local zoo and eventually became a "zoologist in training". I learned the science and teaching aspects of the zoo and the zoo's animals. I was trained to handle the animals that went out on the zoo mobiles or went out on the zoo carts. I loved the python, I felt like a cool girl holding that. I also really loved the opposum. He was just a big shy baby. I loved how his tail would curl around your wrist like a little kids hand looking for security. The kinkaju I did not like after I pooed all over me at a school demonstration. Later, I wanted to be a zoologist; then a marine biologist. Then my dream was to work at the San Diago sea World as a dolphin trainer. But, reality hit and I realized Michigan isn't known for their marine biology colleges. So I went back to the idea of Vet. Too much schooling. That is when I met my new Aunt Michelle. She was a vegan animal-loving vet technition and I wanted to be just like her.

In my senior year of high school I began going to the county technology center for health medicine under the field of animal caretaker. It was then that I toured the campus of Michigan State and all my dreams of working with animals faded. It is a funny thing about wanting to work with animals...science plays a major roll and though I understand science, the book stuff left me for a loss. Needless to say, by the end of my freshman year of college I had the science field all together and began my journey to English Education. Something about almost failing my math and biology classes and the thought of having to edure 4 more years of it was too much for me. I would only enjoy the animals in my own house and at the zoos.

Some years later I went to the dark side, mainly because I could find any job and our electric bill was a month late. I again worked with animals, ut not in most friendlest of manners. I was an animal research technition...in laymen's term. , animal tester. I rationalized by the fact it was more medical research that helped both humans and animals. I actually learned a lot of hand on science things and handling techniques for blood draws and dose administration. Not too long into working there my conscious cought up with me. Of course the blatant disregaurd for the animals welfare as well as integrity of the studies turned my stomach. Never in my life had I been as depressed as when I worked there. Though I did learn some invaluable lessons.

Since my bout in biomedical research, I have been in my degreed field of English education. I am forever known as the tree-hugging hippie teacher who is always trying to get people to save the earth. Not that that bothers me, it is the lack of respect I get for that badge. I pisses me off how little people care out the world around them and the other things that live in it. About a year ago I mentioned to my husband how there isn't a nature center or zoo with an hour and half drive from our city. I was shocked to learn I had high school students who had never been to a zoo. Even though I am an English major, I am no dummy when it comes to animals and plants and the enviornment. I told my husband how a zoo would be perfect here. There is a big cat rehabilitation center in the county. That would be the perfect place to start a zoo-in-the-making. There is also a huge state park right in town, but doesn't do anything to educate the communtiy about conservation in any way. I told Sean, "If I didn't work I would so try to get some kind of animal or nature education program going in this area."

That is where Steve and Terri's book comes in. It rekindled that idea. It makes me want to do more to educate the public about a cause near and dear to my heart. The question is how to go about getting A) funding and B)respect to be taken seriously. The Irwin's book has sparked an idea in my brain that is iching to be born and Highlands County is the blank slate to do that. In addition, reading about how Steve and Terri kept rght on doing their thing even with little Bindi in tow shows to me I can go about my cause even with Sophia. It is apparent she is a quick learner and loved animals and nature. I would love to get some kind of education conservation program going and have my daughter by my side ever step of the way.

One this is clear to me; conservative teaching is not for me. Plus, even though I really like English and all my other subjects, I am not as passionate as I am about the enviornment. But I can take my skills as an educator and my love and passion for animals and nature and create soething new for this backwoods, reluctant town.