It's the season again. The horny little bugs flitting about shamelessly flashing their tails to signal for sex. The magical flashing recalls long ago June evenings and gangs of gleeful kids chasing them with glass jars.

If I were a reincarnation buff, fireflies would make me think of how briefly our lives flash, go dark, then flash again.

I have never studied the bio-chemistry of fireflies but I would think that there is some phenomenon there that a hi-tech society could utilize.

One thing I do know is that if you squash a firefly twixt your fingers while it is glowing, the glow will remain untill it slowly dissipates. Try it! Sound like a boy thing? A girl showed me that trick.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), June 08, 2001

Answers

We used to squish them on the sidewalk and drag our feet. Makes a neat glowing trail. Kids can be bad can't they?

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), June 08, 2001.

You fucking heartless bastards!!!

-- Cin's Friend (cinsFriend@cinsFriend.cinsFriend), June 08, 2001.

Aw, Lars, that was so sweet and touching (except for the squishing part.) I grew up in the Midwest where fireflies and whomp-ass thunderstorms marked the passing of summer. I don't have that where I live now and I sho' do miss them. I guess that's why your post brought a warm smile to my face on an otherwise dreary day. A 10-second jaunt down memory lane can do a spirit good. Thanks.

-- 1 (2@3.com), June 08, 2001.

Hell,we used to capture the little fellers and put them in baby food jars to make flashlights,just shake the jar as hard as you can and it would glow for hours.

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), June 08, 2001.