Do Not Go Gentle…


In 1947, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas penned one of the great poems of the twentieth century. Ostensibly, as he watched his father fading at the end of his life, he encouraged him to “rage against the dying of the light”. Read it. Sit with it. Meditate upon it.

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 grieve 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.

How are these words relevant to you? Because we are living longer than ever (though appear to be giving back some of those longevity gains) and each of us has to decide what we want out of the years of this life. While mountain biking one day, I hear a guy poke fun at me while resting between runs on a local 2.5-mile loop. “That’s one way to do it!”, he said. I turned to see an, obviously, older man making his way to the end of the trail. I chuckled. We chatted. He was nearing his 75th birthday! He was mountain biking! He had several small bandages on his arms from a wipe-out on another trail a few days prior. Quite simply, he was a badass. An inspirational badass.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 7 adults has mobility challenges to the point of it being labeled a disability. That figure rises to 2 in 5 over age 65. Sure, accidents and illnesses occur. Events over which you have no control may impact your quality of life. But the single biggest driver of your health, well-being, and mobility is likely to be your decision making. How you eat, exercise, find and give support, use your time, determine priorities, and on and on… are all up to you.

This isn’t merely a reflection on the ravages of time and how nobly we face the certain end. It applies right now. At any age. Are you using the hours, months, and years that make up your life the way you want? Are you squeezing them for all they are worth? While you may have to remind yourself each day (a good idea), this life is a gift. You have opportunities to love and learn and taste and achieve and I could go on for pages.

But a gift not enjoyed is wasted. Rage against that waste. And do not go gentle…

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