Ayoungfriendofmineaskedmeinaletter,"WhatkindofmanshouldIbe?"Myanswerwas,"Beafighter."
Anotherfriendofmineinquired,"HowshouldIlivemylife?"Againmyanswerwas,"Beafighter."
TheauthorofInPraiseoftheFightersays:
Ridingontheceaselessrushingtorrentoflife,Ishouldpursueandovertakeitsoastocreateanevengreateranddeepertorrentofmyown.
IfIwerealamp,itwouldbemydutytolightupthickdarkness.IfIweretheseatide,Iwouldmarshalrollingwavestocleansethebeachofallaccumulatedfilth.
Thisquotationreflectsaptlythestateofmindofalighter.
Fightersarebadlyneededinourtime.Butsuchfightersdonotnecessarilygotothebattle-fieldguninhand.Theirweaponsarenotnecessarilybullets.Theirweaponsmaybeknowledge,faithandstrongwill.Theycanbringtheenemysuredeathwithoutdrawinghisblood.
Afighterisalwaysinpursuitoflight.Insteadofbaskinginthesunshineunderaclearsky,heholdsaburningtorchinthedarknessofnighttoilluminatepeople'swaysothattheycancontinuetheirjourneytilltheyseethedawnofanewday.Itisthetaskofafightertodispeldarkness.Insteadofshirkingdarkness,hebravesitandfightsthehiddendemonsandmonsterstherein.Heisdeterminedtowipethemoutandwinlight.Heknowsnocompromise.Hewillkeeponfightinguntilhewinslight.
Afighterisperenniallyyoung.Heisneverirresoluteorinactive.Heplungesdeepintoteemingcrowdsinsearchofsuchverminasfliesandvenomousmosquitoes.Hewillfightthemrelentlesslyandrefusetocoexistwiththemunderthesamesky.Tohim,lifemeansnothingbutcontinuousfighting.Heeithersurvivesbywinninglight,orperisheswithhisbodycoveredalloverwithcutsandbruises.Inthecourseofthestruggle,itisthe"future"thatservesasthebeaconlighttohim;the"future"givespeoplehopeandinspiration.Hewillneverlosehisyouthfulvigour.
