Sunday, August 21, 2016

A Lesson In Living

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

-Dylan Thomas

Although I am of an earlier time musically, and cannot say that outside of about two songs I am familiar with the Tragically Hip's oeuvre, I watched almost all of last night's concert from Kingston, televised by the CBC. I watched because I wanted to see how a man deals with the knowledge of impending death, and I wanted to partake in something that, no matter where we live, links all of us together. The latter is a fact that the CBC clearly recognized, broadcasting the show entirely commercial free, doing exactly what a public broadcaster should do, promoting the kind of experience that unites a country, breaking down some of the silly barriers that separate far too many of us.

Like Gord Downie, my brother-in-law suffered from glioblastoma, succumbing to the disease almost eight years ago. He lived the last year of his life with grace, refusing to succumb to the kind of self-pity that I think many of us would be all too prone to. And like my brother-in-law, Gord Downie showed the same resilience and strength of spirit in his final performance. He showed us what dying with dignity really means; he showed us the awesome strength that human beings can muster in the face of tragedy.

What he is contending with is perhaps epitomized here:



So I watched to be part of a pan-Canadian event, and I watched, not out of morbid curiosity or disrespect for the man's mortality, but to take a lesson in living life until the end. May I have at least a small amount of Downie's fortitude, class and strength of spirit when my time comes.

6 comments:

  1. It's not about the time we've been given, Lorne. It's about how we spend it.

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    1. That is a lesson we would all do well to remember regularly, Owen.

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  2. .. a fine article by Stephen Marche & The New Yorker magazine is being widely reported.. He attended the Air Canada performance.. and I think he 'got it' .. quite poignant.. astutely so

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    1. I read that, Salamander, after reading Montreal Simon's post this afternoon.

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  3. It was a deeply moving experience, Lorne, even for those not given to such emotions. It was truly an inspirational gift to all Canadians. It's a good memory to make last just as long as possible.

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    1. Agreed, Mound. It was an experience that linked us all together as Canadians.

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