Rage Against The Dying Of The Light!

A few years ago I was hiking with a coworker in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  We were doing a 21 mile trail with lots of uphills.  Here we were, two guys in our youth, filled with life and vigor.  We enjoyed every moment of that day with its incredible views and strenuous walking.  Right in the middle of our hike we encountered a man who seemed way too old to be doing this trail.  We walked with him for a while and shared some hiking stories.  Turns out, this man was 80+ years old.  He was walking the same trail we were, climbing the same uphills we were.  We were on track to finish this trail in 7 hours, he was going to take 9, but he was having the time of his life.

I want to be that man when I grow older, I want to live life to the fullest and never give up.

A Bit Of Poetry

There’s a poem by Dylan Thomas called “Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night”.  It goes something like this:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

It’s one of my favorites and the last two lines have been an inspiration to me on numerous occasions.  To me, rage against the dying of the light means don’t accept your fate.  Fight on, even when fighting seems pointless.  Even if you know the end is near, even if you know your time is past, keep fighting.  Grab life and don’t let go.  Refuse to accept your fate, refuse to go gently into the good night.

Refuse to accept that you’re too old for exercise, refuse to accept that an 80 year old shouldn’t be hiking the Santa Cruz Mountains, refuse to accept that it’s too late to be healthy, refuse to accept that you’re 40 and you will never look like you did when you were 20, refuse to accept that you’re a mother now and mothers can’t look sexy, refuse to accept that you’re sick or that you’re going to die.  As long as you’re alive, as long as you woke up this morning, then there’s a chance.  You can always turn your life around, just as long as you haven’t given up yet.  Even when everything seems hopeless, even when the end seems near, it’s still worth it to keep fighting.

Think about those words the next time you resign yourself to your fate.  Think how gently you’re going into that good night the next time you sit on the couch and remember your glory days.  Are you raging against the dying of the light or have you become resigned to your fate?  Are you fighting on or have you given up?  Believe me, I know how easy it is to give in, I know how tempting it is to just sit down and stop fighting.

Why?

Why keep going?  Why try to stay young?  Why try to stay in shape?  Why try to be healthy?  I’m not young anymore, why not just accept that?  Why not give in to inertia and entropy?  Why not let things go and go gently into that good night?  I know that feeling, I know how easy it is to give in.  I almost did that myself a few years ago, but I’m here to tell you that there are things worth fighting for.  Life is worth fighting for and your body is the thing that sustains your life.  Take care of it or you’ll find yourself going into that good night a lot earlier than you expected.

So rage against the dying of the light.  Keep fighting even if the end seems near.  That 80 year old man on the trail isn’t going gently into that good night and neither should you.

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Ironically, I first heard Dylan Thomas’ poem in a Rodney Dangerfield movie entitled Back To School.  Odd how we find the classics.  Rest in peace Rodney, I hope you’re getting more respect these days