I took this picture while at the retreat I posted about the other day. It picture out better than others. I had trouble with the sun over my shoulder; pretty good excuse. Initially, I was disappointed because the dragonfly posed and cooperated. In retrospect, the title says it all and the moment was a lesson in living.
As I mentioned, the retreat was a great experience. I reminded my self it is OK to be imperfect. I am human with that. The dragonfly showed up and shared a quiet moment with me; for that I am grateful.
Lighting down,
Oh, so gently.
Posing,
Oh, so perfectly.
He spoke;
He really did!
“Take my picture please
My time almost done
My memorial moment.”
Posing ever so gracefully,
As if expressing gratitude,
Sharing a momentous moment,
Done, we each took leave–
Jobs nearly complete.
We each are learning about who we are in life. Living is a gerund and, as result, is an unfolding and becoming we are always experiencing. I think this is best said in the poem of Derek Walcott, Love After Love. It is in accepting our imperfections we come to love the self who continuously emerges.
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
Such an intriguing title Ivan!
I had to read this post to find out what “half a dragonfly” was about. I was comforted to see that the half part was due to the photographer and not an act of God or dissection. Your moment together was whole even if the photo image was not. Thank you for sharing that moment through your wonderful poetry. Blessings, Alia
Sometimes I get caught up in getting more and it just is not possible. I need to focus on what I have, rather than what I want and don’t have. Take care Alia.
Teacher as Transformer 
HEY—YOU GOT THE MOST IMPORTANT HALF! 😀
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
BETTER BY CAMERA—THAN BY PEN KNIFE! GOOD FOR YOU!
I had not thought of the title as evoking those thoughts.
SORRY–must be a hidden bad and cruel little boy in there somewhere!
Such an intriguing title Ivan!
I had to read this post to find out what “half a dragonfly” was about. I was comforted to see that the half part was due to the photographer and not an act of God or dissection. Your moment together was whole even if the photo image was not. Thank you for sharing that moment through your wonderful poetry. Blessings, Alia
Sometimes I get caught up in getting more and it just is not possible. I need to focus on what I have, rather than what I want and don’t have. Take care Alia.
Wise words!!
Thank you Michael.
Beautiful, something is better than nothing 😁
It is Taruna
😇 check out my posts too and share your views
Will do.