How do we describe a concept or vision to another, especially ourselves? Sometimes the words cannot be found, and so we turn to the world around us to find something similar. We use our world, most often nature, as an example. Nowadays we have so many man-made creations that our stock of examples seems endless. Even with our man-made symbols we continue to turn to life itself to find meaning. We turn to nature, turning to the animated creatures in admiration of their abilities or in honor of their beauty and unique design.
Dragonfly Inspiration - Mission In Life Shown By Example
The dragonfly is one example. I recently found a book published nearly 130 years ago. The author connects the appearance of a dragonfly with his own mission in life, what he could learn scientifically, and the invisible connectivity of the appearance of the dragonfly in his life. Even more profound is the disappearance of this ancient creature when the intended mission was ignored. Is this a sign? Does the presence of the dragonfly have any significance other than coincidence?
The story is about an inventor working to create a flying machine. What better example of flight than a dragonfly, with its membrane-covered wings. We are creative and inventive, yet how many times has our creativity been sparked by something found in nature?
The Dragonfly
"A Dragon-fly! What I thought or how I felt when this first happened I cannot now tell. One never notes particularly the first link in the chain: it is only when the separated and detached links fasten themselves together and become a chain that human observation is sufficiently arrested to note and draw conclusions. Naturally I looked at the creature-but only vaguely: I really couldn't have told at the moment why I looked at it: I didn't know myself: and when I did it was a-disappointing look, for the flash of its wings was like the lightnings at play in the clouds: I could see the flash, but with no chance to study it: and my desire was to understand the mechanical movements of wings!"
The Dragon-Fly: Or, Reactive Passive Locomotion by Thaddeus Hyatt.