Motto for the Elderly

[BillBrownley]

So--once in a while I come across something from my required reading list in high school that bored me to tears as a 17 year old. But when I read it now--I get it.

Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson is one of the best examples of that. It is a poem about Ulysses grown old, and tiring of ruling and caring for his kingdom of those "That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me." Anyone who is truly a geezer and still lifting--read the poem and tell me it does not resonate.


Below is the last bit from "Ulysses".

"Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

I think there ought to be a Geezer motto. I nominate the last line for the Geezer motto. Nominations are open for a week. Then we choose.

Thanks, Bill

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

[Mark E. Hurling]

I've seen that last line a few times over the years and I probably even read that it was from Ulysses. But the context of him having grown old never registered with me until you called it out Bill. Perfect. As much as I think of Beowulf, the Elder Eddas can't touch Tennyson with this profound use of language.

[Mac Ward]

So--once in a while I come across something from my required reading list in high school that bored me to tears as a 17 year old. But when I read it now--I get it.

Youth is wasted on the young...I too have found this same phenomenon in my life.

I love the excerpt, so +1.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Aye.

[BillBrownley]

Cool--but let's make sure we have other opinions--and a selection committee. Geezers covers a wide age range--at least as we define it. So--I would nominate El Viejo (OG), Mark, Sullydog, Mac (younger side) Oldster, and maybe Carlos who is not a geezer but certainly rises to the level of Geezer consultant.

I could see votes for other suggestions--perhaps Bruce Springsteen's line "No retreat, No Surrender". Or perhaps the definition of entropy an engineer friend of mine had. "You can't win, hell you can't even get even, and there is only one way to get out of the game. But you can fight like hell to slow the process down."

Who else should be on the selection committee?

Thanks, Bill

[Mark E. Hurling]

Oldster fer damn sure.

[Mac Ward]

"You can't win, hell you can't even get even, and there is only one way to get out of the game. But you can fight like hell to slow the process down."

I like that one too!

[BillBrownley]

This is why we need a selection committee and a vote. Plus--Oldster may actually be our Ulysses.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Well I know he’s an avid hunter. If that includes bow season he’s our man! Cause you remember the banquet hall scene with the axe heads, right?

EDIT: By the way, I just noticed we have an Odysseus signed on just now. No idea how old though.

[bob g]

"Eat large, lift large, live large."

Maybe in Latin.