Douglas Keister, in his book "Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography" described the evening primrose as
As a newly middle-aged man, enough time has passed for the accumulation of many regrets over failure to achieve many things I set out to do. Yet, at 41, I am not too old that I have no time to try again to find my "personal legend" like the boy in Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist".
Like the Evening Primrose, having closed in the mid-morning of my youth, I still have a chance to bloom in the early evenings of my days on this earth. There is much sadness in my life, as I recall the memories of my gone-forever youth, yet much hope remains for the [God-willing] many days I still have left. And finally, like the symbolism of the flower, the eternal love of special people in my life, most notably my wife and my family, is not to be taken for granted. Warts and all, they still love me and I them unconditionally.
The Chinese name for Evening Primrose is Ye Lai Siang, which happens to be one of my favourite Chinese oldies. When I sort out the logistics, I will provide a link to the midi of my piano arrangement of this classic.
On that melancholy note I end my introduction. I asked my students in a recent lesson what do they understand by the term introduction. It is one of those words bandied around so often that no one stops to think about its meaning. My question was met by silence. Stepping up to one of them I extended my hand for a handshake and introduced myself. Then, turning back to the class I asked them what was I introducing when I shook their classmate's hand?
The answers:
Who am I.
What am I.
This entry, hopefully gives an insight into both.
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