Unexpected Encounter

During one of my visits to an abandoned distant forest to recharge my batteries, I sat on the side of a lagoon to enjoy my chicken salad sandwich with my favorite ice-cold lemonade beverage cooled in my thermos. I loved this place because it was always quiet and rarely visited by anyone. I had been coming every month for nearly a year, and it was my precious hideaway from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Suddenly I encountered a fire-breathing dragon coming out of the lagoon who appeared more surprised than belligerent as it emerged from the water and made direct eye contact! Was his quizzical look authentic or part of a strategy to keep me off-guard?

While some believe that great power begets great responsibility, this was not obvious by the thunderous movements of the dragon moving made across the field of bushes and trees.

The question was whether my sighting would grant me the good fortune predicted by the East Asian culture or the strength the emperors of China espoused to gain by its presence. Everything was happening so fast that I had little time to ponder my ancestorial beliefs as my head spun around to avoid being trampled to death as the dragon suddenly belched out the words, “get out of my way!”

Wow, I must be hallucinating because I had never heard dragons could talk or communicate with humans. The shock I experienced from his words temporarily nullified my fears and replaced them with curiosity. Was the dragon trying to protect me from getting hurt, or were his words a reflection of his aggressive nature? I was so startled that I ran toward him instead of running away from him.

“Was I crazy or just too curious to run away,” I told myself. “After all, we all know that the impact of curiosity has often not been desirable for some feline creatures.” While some parts of me wanted to run away, my inner voice begged to learn more about this talking, fire-breathing creature!

Shock and Awe

And as I was running out of breath, I felt a sudden burst of heat behind me. The dragon screamed, “Why are you still here?” Like a fool, I replied because I want to get to know you better.

He looked stoical as he replied, “I could kill you in the blink of an eye and have no regrets; your actions make no sense.”

I realized that the beast spoke the truth because he seemed able to move at the speed of light with so much force that there was little anyone could do to control his massive power. We both knew my fate was in his court, and I could do nothing.

Out of a desire to put the dragon on the defensive and preserve my life, I said, “Wait, I could be your friend to the outside world.” He looked at me as if I was out of my mind and said, “Why would I ever need a friend? You need me more than I need you at this moment.”

“Yes, I do because I have more to lose because of your massive power, but over time, if you spare my life, you will benefit from my friendship,” I said. The dragon appeared shocked and lowered its head in a non-threatening way.

“Okay,” the dragon roared as it began to move away. At this point, I yelled, “Don’t walk away. Is it okay for me to visit you every week? “Yes, that will be fine, but do not tell anyone I spared your life. I can only handle having one friend. I have never committed a true act of kindness, and I don’t want anyone to think I am getting soft,” said the dragon.

With these simple words, we began our friendship. I would visit the dragon weekly and sit down to talk with him. Like most, the dragon longed for companionship as much as I did.

We learned that with patience, even our worst enemies could benefit more from friendship rather than fighting each other, even if one has the upper hand at the start of the conflict.