It’s hard to talk to a dragonfly, because we don’t have a lot in common, so there aren’t a lot of mutual interests to converse about. So, when a dragonfly lands on my finger, I run out of topics quickly. “You’re very beautiful… I love your markings… Thanks for eating mosquitoes… It sure has been rainy lately, hasn’t it?” And then, I’m pretty much done.
If you’ve ever communicated with a dragonfly, you’ll have noticed: Dragonfly’s brains don’t whirl as fast as ours do. So, when a dragonfly decides to perch on your finger, it’s perfectly fine if you decide not to talk at all, but to try instead to calm your thoughts and lower your energy so the dragonfly feels comfortable communing with you.
Sharing thoughts and words and images with a creature of a different species is really cool, but sharing space and energy without trying to accomplish anything else can be much more powerful.
Earlier today, I was outside tossing the ball for the dogs. I was standing on the porch, using a long-handled ball launcher to hurl a bouncy ball out into the horse field. Georgia, the resident short-stop, always (or almost always) brings the balls back up the stairs for another toss.
I noticed that a dragonfly kept flying in a circle, landing on the back of a chair near me, then repeating the process. It seemed that he was trying to get my attention. I put my finger on the chair back near him and invited him to step from the chair to my finger. He did.
We had a quick conversation, then he flew away. I held my hand up, and he came back. He did that a half-dozen times before I finally decided to get my phone out and video the interaction.
I’ve made friends with a dragonfly before. Our relationship advanced to the point that he always flew to me whenever I came outside, and I was able to teach him the “step up” command that I’d taught many birds in the past.
When the dragonfly decided to make my acquaintance today, I felt honored. I asked him if he would come to see me again tomorrow. He didn’t answer, but my feeling is that I’ll have to be content with the gift I’ve already been given. We’ll see what happens in the future, but if all I ‘m granted by this dragonfly is the chance to commune for a few minutes today, I’m happy and grateful for it.
I’m reminded of a quote I used to repeat to my kids when they were little: “You’ll get what you get, and you won’t fuss a bit.”
When it comes to being graced by the presence of dragonflies, I’m plenty happy to get what I get and not fuss a bit.
