Bold Moves Are the Best Moves

Lately I’ve noticed more fireflies than usual. A quick Google search informed me that they’re more prevalent in Spring and Summer when there’s more rainfall and, “due to climate change, there has been heavier rain in early Spring which brings out more of these adult beetles and for longer periods.”

I’ve never been that into science, so I wasn’t that impressed with Google’s answer. I was hoping for something more like, “An abundance of fireflies is a sign that we will all return to simpler times. Families should spend evenings outside on their front porches, while children should capture these lightning bugs to slow down time.”

I guess I’m just feeling nostalgic. My son turned 13 yesterday, and I watched the documentary, “Brats” on Hulu about the Brat Pack of the 80s that I idolized.

Growing up in a small town, we defined our neighborhood by the block where our house was built, not the subdivision. I was lucky enough to live on a block full of creative, active kids close to my age. I can still name every kid that lived on 36th street over a ten-year span.

We were outside all the time. We set up carnivals in our backyard, each assigned a station that included a game and prize. We played “apartments” and brought décor and empty grocery cartons from inside our homes to set up each of our units on one neighbor’s porch with the perfect-sized sections. We played “Sharks” and attempted Nestea plunges at the house which was the first to have a pool in the backyard. We played Statues, Tag, and we caught fireflies at night in an empty Miracle Whip jar. We covered it with a lid stabbed with a steak knife, so they could breathe.

I won’t spoil “Brats” for anyone, but there was a moment in it that really struck me. There will never be another time like the Brat Pack era because movies and culture are too segmented these days. Back then, every teen knew the Brat Pack, could quote the movies, and could relate to at least one of John Hughes’ characters.

We lined up at the theater when the movies were released and often went to see them multiple times with hordes of friends. We bought the cassette soundtrack and rewound our favorite song over and over while driving around town just to listen. “Brats” will bring back awesome memories to all fellow Gen Xers.

I see plenty of memes about all the amazing experiences the younger generations will never understand. They may not experience it like us fortunate Gen Xers, but we owe it to them to share the movies and teach them how to catch fireflies.