I was at a gathering at my Son’s school recently when the kids started chasing fireflies. This annual late summer ritual is something that my son & I have enjoyed together since he was old enough to catch these glowing creatures; (and I remember from my own childhood). Yet I heard several parents comment that they had not seen fireflies in years. How sad.The way I see it, watching and catching fireflies is a right of childhood…a simple pleasure as the evenings start to cool and we can finally escape our air-conditioned prisons to enjoy those precious moments between day and night with our family. To imagine this time empty of the firefly is simply heartbreaking. Fortunately, my neighborhood is filled with them.
But as I pondered the observations of those other adults, I wonder if this is one of those times where technology and “modern” society has interfered with the time we take to notice these fanciful creatures. Maybe they are flying away from light pollution, but, as noted, in my (Urban) neighborhood, the fireflies are plentiful. Perhaps the real problem is people are running away from the fireflies. We stay inside at dusk and watch TV, or work on the computer rather than going outside. Maybe because I live in an older, well established neighborhood, with lawns & large trees, the firefly population is well established and happy. Regardless of the reasons, I'm glad we've stopped long enough to notice these luminous "faries" of the evening.
How long has it been since you’ve chased fireflies? How long has it been since you’ve even taken the time to notice them? Well, don’t delay, the time is NOW.
3 comments:
Oooooo, I've always been fascinated by fireflies. My neighborhood seems to have an abundance, but you're right - many just don't have any. I've heard (but haven't taken the time to fact-check this) that fireflies are a sign of a healthy lawn. If someone uses alot of artificial pesticides, etc., the fireflies move on to greener pastures, so to speak. When I see fireflies in my own yard, I know I've done something right.
Another fun part of childhood? Sucking the honey out of honeysuckle flowers. *drifting off to younger years as I type that*
"Perhaps the real problem is people are running away from the fireflies"... you said a lot when you said this. On a purely literal level, I don't even know if we have them this far south; but we do have dragonflies and we love how they accompany our walks in the park and bike rides. :D
i didn't mean to comment anonymously whoops!
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