Why I had to face the dragon.

I thought of it this morning as I geared up to mount my faithful steed sojourner truth. I thought of it as I rode home from lea b's art show in the dark. I thought of it yesterday morning and the evening before that. I thought of it as I rode, eyeing the hypnotic white line at the avenue's edge block after block for miles. I've been troubled by a vision these last few days and nights, and I knew I had to find it today.

I was riding so very purposefully Monday, on my way to work, and making good time when it sailed by in my peripheral. I hadn't been sure I'd seen it correctly and turned that quick second to look. Sure enough it was there in the fast fading distance, lying straight as an arrow in the gutter, like the treasure of a once and future king.

"Where did it come from?" I wondered as I pressed forward. I had already suppressed the instinct to turn around and rescue it, and already doubted my decision. It didn't take me long to piece together a theory, a quarter mile up the road laid a fallen action figure, and further, a broken fire truck…no doubt, some child's dreams dropped unseen by a moving truck…lost without notice along the way.

But it was the sword that haunted me. Buzz Lightyears are familiar. Toy fire trucks, non-descript. But there was so much soul and handiwork poured into crafting this child's vision. The straight reed of a palm frond dragged around no doubt to approximate a tip…a crossguard and pommel of paper and clumsy tape at the hilt. I knew I had to find it again. It was too significant a loss to allow the wind and rain and traffic to claim it to oblivion.

I rode that night and again the next morning…another evening and later…a night again looking for it…imagining some child knight lost and heartbroken in some strange and foreign new home castle. I awoke again this morning thinking of it, and rode, more slowly this time, scanning the long, white line of the gutter and taking inventory of my surroundings with each new mile.

And as I trudged on…there it was! Somebody had no doubt, thrown it toward the bushes, and there it lay on its side…waiting…with resplendent intent. I had to brake hard to stop. Dismounting, I considered the coming traffic, how far I would have to run back to retrieve it, and pulled my steed to the side for safety.

In an instant, my adult world of work commute faded, and I knew this seeming crazy quest was infinitely important. It was that split second when I also heard the dragon. I moved forward, hearing my road shoes crunch against the still dew-wet morning grass. Such ferociousness! Unseen, a large and angry dog informed me of how long his teeth were, and how much he'd like me to feel them pierce my flesh.

We were making a scene. Me, errant proxy for the destitute child-knight, and this dragon of a howling dog, snarling and screaming from the bushes. I made sure the fence was high as his guttural barking grew louder and more desperate. Having reached the sword then that lay just beyond his reach, I wheeled around and thrust it victoriously into the air.

It was a ridiculous sight as I rode past mothers dutifully delivering their little ones to school…principal and crossing guards, drinking coffee…and other adults making their way by me in cars on the way to work. There I was riding along like Peter Pan's lost boy, balancing my treasured sword first this way, balancing it further along, yet another.

All I could see was rescuing this child's dream. It was as if, had I left this sword to simply fade away, the dream also, would die with it. And who can say, we can't rescue the wonder of childhood this way? And who can know for certain, to fight as a brave knight, isn't somehow this child's destiny? Perhaps, in some future and modern construct, this child-knight will be commissioned to fight a great and fearsome battle. And so much heart…so much spirit invested in even child's play rings with truth the clarion call of a journey's purpose.

Maybe this fledgling hero will brave new frontiers in medicine or physics? Maybe she will be a great visionary, inspiring sweeping social change and peace? Whatever the dragon be, I will cherish the latent vision like some otherworldly benefactress…and in this way grant the tender-budding child's heart the nobility of honouring its truth. And even as she grows becoming, may her journey - and all heroes like her - be marked with wisdom, grace, and strength.