I haven’t seen many grasshoppers this summer, so I was happy to get a few shots of this one before he hopped off the leafy stalk for a new destination. I especially like the details of the eyes and the mouth.
Grasshoppers are special to me, in part because “grasshopper” is the term that my photograph mentor, Cindy Dyer, uses for me, her student. Some of you may be old enough to remember the television series Kung Fu from the 1970’s, in which Master Po, the blind monk, called his young pupil “grasshopper.”
I often wondered why he used that particular word and today I came across an explanation in Wikipedia. Apparently it stemmed from an exchange between the Master Po and the student, Caine, in the pilot episode of the series. There is a lot of wisdom in that final response.
Master Po: Close your eyes. What do you hear?
Young Caine: I hear the water, I hear the birds.
Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat?
Caine: No.
Po: Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?
Caine: Old man, how is it that you hear these things?
Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
I love it! Great quote.
I remember that show but not the conversation. Old master Po was full of wise old sayings. I learned how to snatch a pea from someone’s hand by watching it, but that’s not a skill that has proven very usefull. Great shot of the grasshopper.
Thanks. It was a fun show with some great lessons. I too don’t recall the conversation, but Wikipedia said it was from the pilot show of the series and I am pretty sure that I did not see that episode.
Really fun post especially for all of us at “a certain age”.
Thanks. I am definitely in that age category. Glad you enjoyed the posting.
Snatching pebbles from the hand became something of a craze where I lived. Maybe everywhere. I think that show served a very useful function in the 70’s in combating racism.