Ryoma

While talking about Ricky Wong, my recent bedtime reading is Ryoma Sakamoto (坂本龍馬) by The Two Oceans Club of History Research (兩洋歷史研究會).

For those who are not familiar with the history of Japan, Ryoma was a prominent figure in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa Bakufu (德川幕府), largely by his achievement of uniting the Choshu (長州) and Satsuma (薩摩) provinces to work against the shogun (將軍) of the Tokugawa family. He was assassinated, presumably by Bakufu supporters, at the age of 31.

As Jack London said:
I would rather be ashes than dust.
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.

寧化飛灰，不作浮塵。寧投熊熊烈火，光盡而滅；不伴寂寂朽木，默然同腐。寧為耀目流星，迸發萬丈光芒；不羨永恒星體，悠悠沉睡終古。