Me: Now, the actual death process and your transition into the afterlife. Can you tell me a little about that?
Steve: Quite amazing! Quite amazing!
(Jamie giggles at his Steve Irwin-ness.)
Me: Oh, I can just hear him talking like that!
Steve: It was like—could you put everything you love in one box? That how it was for me. It was quite a shock. Imagine the amount of time you would have getting an electrical shock by putting your fingers in a light box.
Me: Mm hm.
Steve: That was about it.
Me: Wow. So it wasn’t particularly painful, I hope?
Steve: Not particularly painful, no.
Me: So, then you crossed over. Can you describe your surroundings and your thoughts when you realized you were dead?
Steve: Well, once I realized what had happened—I had moments to think about it—
Jamie: He’s showing me it wasn’t an instant death. The way he was talking, I thought it was.
(Long pause)
Jamie: Uh, Erik was asking him what had happened, you know, why it wasn’t instant.
Steve: The barb caught me in the chest, right in the heart. My instinct was to pull it out.
Jamie: Wow, he actually reached down and pulled it out.
Steve: When I pulled it out, that’s when I realized it was the wrong choice.
Me: Oh, no.
Steve: And that’s what lessened the time for the rescuers, and that’s what tore my heart.
Me: Yeah. Oh, I’m so sorry, Steve.
Steve: And that’s what stopped my heart. When I realized I wasn’t in the water anymore, I was allowed to see my wife, my daughter, my son, everything, I was able to say goodbye and make peace. That’s when I realized that the deed had been done.
Jamie (chuckling): The deed had been done?
Steve: It looked very much like earth. It wasn’t as if I floated away to some cloud. Thank god I didn’t get wrapped into some toga!
Jamie, Erik and I laugh hard!
Steve: I got to keep everything I was wearing. I even put a few clothes on.
Me: Hmmm. Let me guess. A khaki shirt and shorts?
Steve: Yeah. And I very much felt like myself. I’m able to see people who are alive; I’m able to see people who have passed over. And I’m continuing my work. I like to stay mostly with my children on earth and that house with my wife. I see my parents, my family on earth. I continue my work with organizations and foundations that are helping the survival of animals that are being hunted.
Me: Oh, how great! What insight did you gain once you crossed over?
(Pause)
Me: Or, did you already know it all?
Jamie (giggling): That made him laugh.
Steve: I didn’t know it all. I think the greatest insight was to learn how to be accepting and to learn how to be calm. I just took all that energy that I was born with and—maybe I SHOULD have been on Ritalin, but thank god my parents weren’t smart enough to do that to me, because then I got to where I am know.
Me: Yes! That energy is what makes you Steve Irwin, the Steve Irwin the world adores. It’s what’s so magical about you. You have such a loving energy, you know?
Steve: Yeah.
Me: Happy energy. Now, what do you think you were here to learn and teach. I know we covered some of that, but if you want to add more…
Steve: Life is valuable no matter what body or shape it’s in. That’s what I was here to teach.
Me: And to learn?
(Pause)
Jamie (laughing): He kind of like scratches—he’s got that shaggy hair—he scratches his hair.
Steve (laughing): I don’t think I slowed down enough to learn.
Jamie: He’s joking!
Steve: For me, I was here to learn how to love. I did that. I got it. I achieved it.
Me: Well, I think maybe that’s why you gravitated toward animals. It’s easy to learn to love when you start with animals. They have no ulterior motive, and when they love, they do so unconditionally. Maybe that was the steppingstone you had to take.
(Long pause)
Me: But what do I know?!
Steve: No, thank you for putting it that way. Very nice.
This video, alone, shows you what a sweet man Mr. Steve Irwin truly is (plus it’s funny, too):
