40 vs 8 — Ep2: Do not go gentle into that good night
“40 vs 8” is a weekly newsletter where a generation gap meets literary exploration. Join me, a reader with four decades of life experience, and my curious 8-year-old daughter as we share our favorite reads and uncover captivating stories together.
40 years old
“Do not go gentle into that good night.”
Poem by Dylan Thomas
I read it the first time while watching the movie Interstellar. Later I learned that it’s a great poem written by Dylan Thomas. I like poems. To me, poems represent the simplest form of textual expression. And I love simplicity! Reading poems is like watching a movie — it awakens all five senses and touches the softest part of my heart.
This poem tells me to be brave and enjoy every situation. Whatever happens, don’t back up, always try your best and enjoy the “game”. My son plays soccer and usually has two games every week. There are usually 20+ parents watching the game. In the beginning, he was too nervous, and you could tell he wasn’t running at full speed and was holding back. This was in contrast to his practices where he always showed 100% dedication, and sometimes you could even see him smiling.
I encouraged him to loosen up. “Do you have fun playing today or practice? Do you enjoy running and kicking more than just chasing after the ball and not being in action? Let’s just try one tiny dribble in the game.” After a couple of games, he improved a lot. Although he is still a bit nervous, it’s clear that he enjoys playing more.
Enjoy the game, enjoy the good night, my friends.
8 years old
“Trapdoors and pits riddled the floors.”
- from the book “Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes” by Rick Riordan
I asked her why?
The quote describes what the Labyrinth looks like. I image it’s dark and it has trapdoors on the ground and pits you can fall into. I like the it because it sounds cool. I also think it’s detailed and a little scary. I don’t think anyone can navigate the maze and come back safely except for the inventor Daedalus and possibly Athena because she’s wise.
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