You know those moments when the simultaneous occurrence of events that, when taken individually, may just be noticeable, results in something unforgettable? It's like at that one particular moment, there is an alignment in the cosmos and you are lucky enough to experience it. A serious "whoa - this is AWESOME!!" moment.
I had the pleasure of experiencing this feeling a few times in recent days, which is nice in and of itself. It seems these moments occur randomly with lengthy intervals of time between occurrences, unless you are visiting places of natural wonder, watching The Masters live, or shooting a layout for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Then, these feelings pile up so often you begin to backtrack to figure out when you quantum-leapt out of reality.
Interestingly, my recent stumblings into amazement involved natural nighttime light shows. This is the first of those moments and it occurred after reading a quick blurb in my local paper about fireflies lighting in synchronization at nearby Congaree National Park (The State article).
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| image courtesy of thestate.com |
Highly doubtful, I knew this required a first-hand look. So, I loaded up the family and headed out. I figured I would pull a classic Clark Griswold moment, building up the excitement only to be met by groans and disappointment.
"Really? You put us out here on the buffet line at Mosquito Ryan's for this?".
I anticipated having to defend myself. "Well, I guess if you try hard enough you can see a pattern...maybe...right?".
When we arrived at the park, we were not the only ones who had read about this firefly show. There were about 30 others, many of whom seemed to be veteran firefly watchers. I knew this because they had on lightweight long sleeved shirts and pants and wore those hats that field scientists in the movies wear. This gave me a glimmer of hope. Surely these professionals wouldn't be duped. We were in t-shirts and shorts (the temperature was in the 90's after all -at 8:00 in the evening nonetheless), but armed with high-octane, Amazon Jungle-ready insect napalm repellent.
"Um, Dad? This spray kinda burns my skin."
"That's good son - means it's working."
"How?"
"Well, if it's just a little uncomfortable for you, think about how it will make that tiny mosquito feel."
"True."
The sun sank behind the swamp canopy, and with it my anticipation. We spotted a few fireflies, but nothing we couldn't have seen in the backyard at home. The show seemed to have been cancelled.
"We regret to inform you that the fireflies have suddenly taken ill. We suspect a reaction to the DEET that seems to be pervading our air space tonight, thanks to the Griswold family. In any case there will be no performance tonight."
But then it happened. The moment. It started with whisperings and murmurs in the astonished crowd. Then the show began in earnest. I know this is cliche, but if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it. It was a true symphony of synchronized luminescence. Try to visualize floating Christmas tree lights, blinking at a heartbeat's rate, in unison, along the thick darkness emerging from the swamp forest floor. Surreal. Magical. A true "wow" moment.
I found out this dazzling spectacle occurs in only 3 places in the world and for only a short run of time. I happened to be in one of those places at the right time. And I had witnesses.
So, not only did I experience a moment of wonder, but I was also the hero.
Bonus.
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