Open Notepad: Recollections, rants, and commentary

Recollection - Dragonfly

I like to tell you the story of a Dragonfly.

It's a story that I pass down to those I teach and mentor. 

When I was younger, I loved insects, but especially dragonflies. One day, I stuck my hand out when I was fishing with my grandpa, and it landed on my hand.

My grandpa said,

"now son, don't you hurt that dragonfly".

I asked him why, and I'll explain to you how I took it, and what it has shaped me today.

That dragonfly adapted to where it was today. It went through pain, suffering, endurance.

It grew, it changed, it adapted.

All these things shaped the dragonfly.

Bits, pieces, memories, all these collected and adhered to it ever since it was first born.

All the struggles, all these trials stuck to it, and shaped it to who it is. All these adhered to its body as shells, and as it grew, it broke through all these shells, different. Shaped by what it endured.

In it's final stage, out of all the shells it broke and grew,  it grew wings, and when it grew wings, it flew to vast lands. It flew as high as it could, as far as it could. Because it knew, it didn't have long, and it had much to do before it left.

The dragonfly, with its wings outstretched, means to me a lot. It may look fragile, but it's a predator at heart.

There's a beast inside every single one of us, and no matter how people may judge you, you know, when the time comes, you are going to be the one to stand and fight, because you got to this point in your life, you've endured so much, and here you are. Defying everything, and shaping yourself.

Its wings will take it anywhere, it will take it near or far.

Look at its wings. They aren't perfectly smooth. They have veins, cracks, tints, shades. All sorts of little things that through time, has given it form, and again, substance. All these things that make it unique to itself, shaped by everything. These 'imperfections' make the dragonfly what is is, and ultimately uplifts it.

When you look back in your life, when you have examples, stories in your life, the pain, suffering, achievements, you make substance.

Through that, you'll find, what everything has culminated through, your significance in this world, and who or what you are.

Finding what your place in this world isn't easy. You aren't just going to wake up one day and say, "great, I know everything". It's a long road ahead, but with substance, it goes a long way.

For me ultimately, the dragonfly is a reminder every day to keep pushing, because I don't have long in this world. Hopefully, I can touch someone through the time I have left.

Of course, people ask me then afterwards, "well, what's your significance in this world?"

I don't know for sure, and who knows, but I know this.

That dragonfly interacted with me, and left its mark in the world. It left an imprint and shaped me to what I am.

Everything we do on this world leaves an imprint, a mark. From the hands we shake, to the hearts broken and we break, to what we struggle together, and talk.

We all leave something in this world behind, and I hope that at least, from my conversations, to who I talk to, teach, mentor, train, that I leave the world, at least, a better place.