Both before and after my retirement as a professor of education, I’ve had the privilege of befriending many students and visiting professors who have come from, and most often returned to, various places in China. Recently, I’ve had the chance to travel in China about twice a year, visiting friends and simply exploring China as a tourist. I’ve often skipped from place to place and stayed for only a short period of time since these friends are mostly busy professionals.
One day I was enjoying coffee in Canada with a former professor from Wuhan when he jokingly said to me (with maybe a touch of jealousy), “Ron, your travels about China remind me of a dragonfly!!’
Hmmm… Dragonflies flit about China, as they do in Canada, with much freedom and agility, and spend their days feeding on all sorts of tasty morsels within the landscape. The more I thought of it, the more I liked the analogy.
And, yes, of course… a dragonfly will have a different perspective on life than the guy on the ground, or of my professor friends in their offices.
So, I say, “Thanks, China, for tolerating this dragonfly in your world. It’s proving to be a lot of fun!!”
Last update: 2009/11/28