Birth of the Dragon..........

Unless I'm personally known to you, i assume the reason you stopped to read this is because of the unusual heading. Therefore i feel it important to explain the choice of "theme", as it were. It must be understood that it is not merely a senseless, childish obsession with Dragons. My use of the term 'merely' is because, on some level, it could be said to be so as well. However, in typical fashion, my adoption of this particular (arguably) mythical creature as a metaphor, I would say, is not entirely unfounded. Since to explain in detail my justification in its entirety would be cumbersome, to say the least, i pray you will settle for a minimal explanation. Let me start thus;


We have all heard about Dragons, in some manner or form, be it in a fairytale (most often) as the villain, as a character in a novel (be it inanimate or otherwise), or as part of traditional myth (especially in countries of the Asian region). Therefore it would be unnatural for one to disagree with such a statement. However, i would like to pose a simple question- WHAT is a Dragon? And here lies the rub. For I'm sure that though you might have just embarked on a lengthy mental explanation, would you be able to verify such a description? For a Dragon, unlike most other creatures we have come across, is mythical. Which is to say that a description, wherever it be from, has little to no chance of being accurate, as I think we all know what happens to anything, on it's journey through many lips (the longer the journey, the grater the effect!). Therefore, one could say that the best (and possibly the only) description would be to say that it is a mystery. However, i hope you did not mistake my statement to mean that i believe that a Dragon is NOT a being, on the basis that it's existence has not been proven. On the contrary! I would even venture so far as to say that to me, It is more real than most other beings. For, to me it symbolises much. Though the image of the Dragon may be distorted in most instances, one has to look no further than the Chinese culture to understand the beauty and respect it is associated with. The ancient Chinese even went so far as to believe that the reason the day ended was because the great Dragon swallows the Sun, each day at a particular time. This larger-than-life image symbolises the perception the people had of the creature that some cultures would consider to be "dreaded". Therefore in my highly biased opinion, the Dragon is a very real being.


Now to the reason i see a metaphorical illustration in the Dragon. The reason for the thoughts expressed thus far, is for the purposes of explaining what it means to me. To me, a Dragon is a being that is real, eventhough I cannot prove to you its existence. It gives me an insight into the manner in which perceptions can differ drastically, through the way various cultures view it. But at the end of the day, the benefit of understanding it can be enjoyed only by those who bother to understand it. Which is the same outlook I have on my life. I do not wish to influence the opinion people have of me. What is seen is what will be received. I will always remain who I am, regardless of what others see me as being. So i feel i am, in fact, looking through the eyes of a Dragon. Therefore it is only logical to assume, that my thoughts thus recorded may, under different circumstances (if such WERE to be made), have been recorded in a ledger of a Dragon.