It’s something most of us can recall from our childhood — muttering something coincidentally in unison with a friend over lunch or when spotting a punch buggy.
My first “jinx” in a while happened as I helped a friend out of their car at night. I don’t know about you, but I remember cautiously catching fireflies in my hands as a little girl, opening my carefully clasped palms to see their slow blinking light.
Two Fridays ago, my friend and I were cracking jokes when we spotted an old friend, the Lampyridae, flying by for the first time in what seemed like eons. We both gasped, “Firefly!” in unison, surprised and excited by its appearance on my front porch.
Maybe it’s me, and maybe I’m not outdoors at night enough anymore to chase fireflies as I would have on campsite nights or during fire pit past times. But more likely than not, it’s that the insects that lit many a childhood curiosity for generations have seemingly lost their way. What started with giggles ended in tears. My more scientifically inclined compatriot informed me that the reason for the Lampyridae’s absence is due largely to artificial light pollution and their challenges finding mates in brighter areas. The problem seemed akin to one in a sad romance film. How sad for these bugs to die out because they can no longer find each other. While people of all ages struggle to find companionship themselves, we have apps, local bars and even 5Ks to find partners. But these fluttering insects don’t have the same outlets for connection that we do.
In my role as a reporter, I feel it’s my duty to bear witness to all that happens around me. My brain is always wired — spinning round and round to think of experts to reach out to or finding issues that need addressing — and while there are ways and means to address light pollution like town codes and groups like Dark Sky, I find myself relating to the little bugs I loved in childhood.
Maybe all of us are like those bugs in a way, blinded by the addictive artificial light of Facebook threads or TikTok doom scrolls drawing us further away from what’s most important: community. So, I challenge you to check in on your neighbors, join community groups and wave some friendly hellos to passersby to see the connection it brings you this week.
And perhaps you’ll find someone to spot the odd firefly with and call out, “Jinx!”
Nicole Wagner is a staff writer for Times Review Media Group. She holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Rhode Island.
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