In Memoriam

I saw something on my morning commute that struck me sideways. The pickup in front of me had a rear window decal memorializing the Crocodile Man, Steve Irwin. It had a likeness, dates, and some sort of platitude about how he changed the world*.

WTF?

Yes, they had turned their truck into a shrine to Steve Irwin. Am I supposed to be impressed by this display of their love and caring? Am I the only one who finds this silly? Am I just a callous bitch**? What am I missing here?

I've seen these 'rolling memorials' regularly in recent years. Most often it's a decal of a rose or something with "In memory of" in a flowing script and the deceased's name and dates. It puzzles me, this notion that the back window of a vehicle is a good place to memorialize dead loved ones. Look, I'm sorry you've experienced a loss. All of us do, eventually. If we meet someday and become friends, I'd love to hear your story. But being compelled to share the grief of a complete stranger before I've finished my first cup of coffee? Nope, I'm not enjoying it so much.

Maybe it is just me. Maybe it's my Protestant Ancestors railing against unseemly displays of emotion. I dunno.

I went poking around online to see if I could find an image of the one I saw this morning. No joy, but I did find this:


I love the jaunty angle of the slightly-undersized cowboy hat precariously perched atop her piously bowed head. But you know she can't be a real cowgirl: No boots.

* Sorry, no pic. I showed great restraint and did not dive for my purse to excavate my cell phone while hurtling down the highway as 65 mph. Aren't you proud?

** Don't answer that.