Rainer’s Story

Title

Rainer’s Story

Name

Rainer Arendt

Place

Philadelphia, PA, United States

How are you sensing climate change?

A million stars fly around me. A soft summer breeze stirs the branches up above my head. The sky is getting dark, the sun has almost set. The street lights begin to flicker on, illuminating the apartment building we are standing next to.

They are easy to catch. Just put your hand under the floating light and move up. They land on my hand. Its small legs tickle my palm as it explores its new domain. My brother starts to get upset: he can’t catch one. My mom says it’s late and we need to go home. But we want to stay out and play in the magical experience. “You can play with them tomorrow night,” my mom says.

I walk the same path I did all those years ago. Now, I still walk with my brother, but my friends have replaced my mother. They talk of all the dives and flips they did at the pool that evening. Normally, I would engage in conversation too, but my mind is elsewhere. As we pass the apartment building, I look at the flowers. Something is missing. It’s hard to place. But then I see it: one lonely floating light. Where are all your friends, little firefly?

How do these changes make you feel?

These changes have mainly left me feeling nostalgic. Partly, I miss the simple days of young childhood, but I also miss the beauty of fireflies in the summer evening. It will always take my breath away. I feel frustrated because I don’t know how to help, how to stop their disappearance.