Croc Lady

“I just imagined the crocodile chewing on my head and I couldn’t take that imagine, so I started fighting again.”

-       Shirley, age 84

So I finally got my glimpse of a Kenyan Cowgirl. Introducing Shirley, one tough cookie… or maybe we should be more direct and just say she is a total badass!

Yup, Shirley is 84 and lives alone on a little island on Lake Biringo. She has spent the last several decades living on that lake, raised her kids on that lake, and swam in that lake everyday for thirty years.

And about ten years ago, she was out swimming like usual when a crocodile attacked her. And she fought it off. She describes how at one point, she looked down at her arms and saw what a tortured mess they were and thought, “well, I should just let him take me, but then I just imagined the crocodile chewing on my head and I couldn’t take that imagine, so I started fighting again.” She won.

As she sits at the table, her right arm curled uselessly again her body, a wine glass carefully held at the end of a disfigured left arm, she chuckles and says “aw, I knew that crocodile and I don’t blame him – he was hungry”. That’s quite forgiving of you, Shirley. She continues, going up to bat for the creature that tried to eat her, explaining that it had been a tough year and there was little food for the wildlife at that time; saying she should have noticed the signs and known better. They caught and killed the crocodile and he did in fact have an empty belly. Still not sure if I would be as generous as her towards it though.

Shirley: Kenyan Cowgirl, Crocodile Survivor, Genuine Badass.

So when you think you’re in over your head and you can’t handle something… think about how it could be worse… how you could have a croc chewing on your head… and keep fighting… like Shirley.