the season of insects

Summer is the season of insects. Earlier this year, I saw fireflies for the first time in my life. Now, the cicadas are beginning to sing (or scream, depending on your stance towards them). Lately, I've been feeling the strange urge to go bug catching. It's a classic Japanese summer vacation activity, mostly enjoyed by elementary schoolers, but I think it could be fun try (again). I remember catching grasshoppers and butterflies during summer vacation back in my home country. There seems to be a part of me that wants to re-live that experience, to tickle that part of my inner child. Recently, I've also been fascinated by dragonflies. The sleek build of their bodies, their glass-like wings, their stillness when resting, their swiftness and maneuverability, their hunting prowess. People often liken themselves to animals. Animals are a straightforward starting point to put one's self-image and worldview through a filter and imagine oneself anew, drawing on both the animal's actual…