"THE DRAGON WALKS BESIDE ME AS A WOMAN"

The Dragon Beside Me

I never thought I would see a dragon in my life, let alone have one as my companion. But there she was, a magnificent creature of scales and fire, resting beside me on the beach. She had saved me from the vampires attacking my person, and since then, we have been inseparable.

She was more than just a friend. She was a symbol of women's power, a force of nature that no one could tame or oppress. She taught me how to be brave, how to stand up for myself, how to fight for what I believed in. Together, we faced many dangers and adventures, and we always came out stronger.

She was my dragon, and I was her rider. And we were ready to change the world. The dream of the 1970s power of the woman.

We are now in the Chinese Year of the dragon.

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“The year of the dragon is one of the 12 animal signs in the Chinese zodiac cycle. It is to be an auspicious and extraordinary sign, symbolizing power, nobility, honor, luck, and success. People born in the year of the dragon are said to possess natural courage, tenacity, and intelligence, often displaying enthusiasm and confidence12.

According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the next year of the dragon will be 2024, starting from February 10th, 2024, and ending on January 28th, 202534. It will be the year of the wood dragon, which is associated with creativity, innovation, and growth. The wood element also brings harmony and balance to the dragon’s fiery and ambitious nature.”

“If you are curious about your Chinese zodiac sign, you can calculate it based on your date of birth. You can also check your horoscope predictions and lucky things for 2024 according to your sign12.

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/dragon.htm

https://people.com/year-of-the-dragon-2024-chinese-zodiac-everything-to-know-8558497

https://studycli.org/chinese-zodiac/year-of-the-dragon/

https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/dragon/”

“I HAD A DREAM ONE NIGHT IN THE YEAR OF 2022. I HAD SURVIVED LONG COVID AND MAJOR SURGERY.

COVID AFTER AFFECTS ATTACKED MY HERNIA, EXPANDING IT TO THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL. IT ALSO ATTACKED MY GALL BLADDER CAUSING MASSIVE INFECTION IN MY ABDOMINABLE CAVITY. MY STOMACH WAS ON A ROAD TRIP TO MY HEART BUT TOOK A LUNCH BREAK UNDER MY DIAPGHRAM. GANGRENE HAD SPREAD THROUGHOUT MY ABDOMINABLE CAVITY. I WAS EXTREMELY ILL. MY SURGEON SAID I WOULD HAVE DIED THAT WEEKEND AT THE END OF MARCH 2022.

I LAY IN THE HOSPITAL BED WITH IVS AND TUBES EVERYWHERE. I HAD TO HAVE LOADS OF ANTIBIOTICS BEFORE I COULD GO TO SURGERY THE FOLLOWING MONDAY NIGHT.

I SURVIVED THE WEEKEND, AND THE TESTS THEY PERFORMED TO SEE WHAT MY HEALTH ISSUES WERE.

AFTER SURVIVING TWO SURGERIES AT ONE TIME, I WOKE UP AT MIDNIGHT TO A VERY HANDSOME MAN RN. HE WAS ASKING IF IT WERE OKAY FOR HIM TO TURN ME. I REPLIED, “YES, PLEASE ANYTIME!””

I WAS AWAY FROM MY HOME ONE MONTH. THE HOSPITAL HAD TO KEEP ME THREE EXTRA DAYS AND THEN I WENT TO REHAB UNTIL THE END OF APRIL 2022.

What does strength, power and resilience mean to you? Which woman or women have been beside you? How does the dragon beside you manifest?

I SURVIVED THE LONG HEALING PROCESS OF MY DIETARY CHANGES, GLUTEN FREE, LACTOSE FREE AND NO MORE 8 MILE WALKS.

I REMEMBER GROWING UP AS A CHILD WITH MY MOM AND HER MOM RAISING ME. MY MOM TOLD ME TO BE STRONG. MY GRANDMA TOLD ME TO UTILIZE MY TALENTS.

I WAS RAISED WITH TWO VERY KNOWELEDGABLE Women. I was surrounded by books and music, and lots of encouragement from both women.

My grandmother would read Psalms to me as a child. My mom was a little hotter headed but provided reading materials in different subjects of academia.

I was born September 18, 1949, after WWll. As a baby boomer woman, I was told I had restrictions of what type of profession I could pursue.

My mom’s dad died when I was three years old. However, before he passed, he taught me to read and write at two to three as he passed when I was three.

I love to read and write.

My dad wanted to teach me mechanics, but my mom would not allow that in the 1950’s.

My grandma was content to hear me play and sing the blues on the piano. My mom tried to teach me how to sew and cook. However, she did not sew well either. My mom was an artist.

I would set up an art event in the middle of the dining room table with pencils, paints, and paper. In the middle of the table sat a vase of multi-colored flowers. I forced my mom to draw me a picture. It always turned out beautiful. There was an adage that women who married with children could no longer pursue their art or career. We lived in a patriarchal society of men as they were high classed citizens, but their women were second and sometimes third class citizens.

The dragon beside me was being born at a time women were not allowed to buy a house or car without their husband. As time carried on the clocks forwarded to the 21st century. I also moved forward with my education and career.

I studied nursing at 19 then the 1970s were the freedom years to release women power into the work force and out of the kitchen rattling those pots and pans. I quite frankly jumped on the dragon’s back telling it we can do this.

I studied journalism, mid-management/union management, film, art, computers, and whatever other form of intellectual process I thought would help my career.

I still felt the dragon beside me in a flight or fight situation as I found myself in as a woman.

As a baby boomer I still had my clock ticking so I married my son’s father and planned the birth of Sean and Lionel. My family raised me with birth control. My mom bought me birth control pills at age 18.

I have survived two divorces and several love relationships in my 74 years here on earth.

My mom taught me to hold my head up even though I might not be wealthy and be poor as a turkey. My grandma taught me love many, trust few, paddle your own canoe. My pop taught me a girl would learn mechanics in the future. My family taught me music makes the world spin.

My dream of a dragon in 2022 was of a large dragon with fire spewing from its mouth. The baby dragon beside the adult dragon was being taught how to spew fire at others to ward off danger. My dragons were all colorful of vivid colors of the rainbow. At the end of the dream, I had made friends with the adult dragon and was playing with the baby dragon.

Life is a series of ups and downs and difficuties. I believe it’s more powerful to allow the dragon to be by my side instead of a fiery temper of shouting. I did not slay the dragon. The dragon walks beside me as a faithful companion.

As a child my hero was Elizabeth Taylor, as I thought she was beautiful and talented as an actor. I branched out into the music world as a young child who played the blues on the piano. Bessie Smith was my favorite female blues singer at the age of eleven. There are so many more female icons that influenced my life from birth until my age of 74 years old in 2024.

“However, the music from "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" was a song written by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome. Brown recorded it on February 16, 1966, in a New York City studio and released it as a single later that year. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2][3] Its title is a word play on the 1963 comedy film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Man%27s_Man%27s_Man%27s_World”

The patriarchal society was the force behind many women so they would not slay the dragon or walk peacefully beside the dragon.

My mom taught me to be brave, be strong, and to not be a doormat or slave to any man. I can say I have a lot of education but lots of relationships with narcissistic men. So, the dragon now walks beside me slowly, tamed in an untamed chaotic maddening world.

Peace out!

“I am woman here me roar!”

“The song “I Am Woman” was written and performed by Helen Reddy, an Australian pop singer and feminist icon12. She co-wrote the song with Ray Burton, an Australian guitarist, in 197113. The song became a number-one hit in 1972 and a powerful anthem for the women’s liberation movement124. Reddy won a Grammy Award for Best Female Performance for the song and thanked God “because She makes everything possible” in her acceptance speech2. Reddy passed away in September 2020, but her song remains a timeless and inspiring message of female empowerment.“

“https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Woman

https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/i-am-woman.html

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/emmy-meli/i-am-woman

https://www.mylifetime.com/she-did-that/december-9-1972-helen-reddys-i-am-woman-hit-no-1”

WRITTEN BY

VICKI LAWANA TRUSSELLI

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

THE DRAGON ROARS, BREATHING FIRE

THE DRAGON ROARS AS NEVER BEFORE

WE SEE THE WOMAN BESIDE THE DRAGON

AS THE TWO WALK TOGETHER INTO THE SUN.