For the last several weeks, the Chicagoland area has been invaded by the 17-year cicada. Although school finished before my students could see them in full invasion and there were few to be found in the Hyde Park neighborhood, we learned a little about these curious insects. Cicada Mania offered several resources, including this beautiful time-laspe video. We also enjoyed the poem, Cicada, from Paul Fleischman's Joyful Noises: Poems For Two Voices. Finally, here are the instructions to make an origami cicada (pdf).
My own children and I were lucky enough to have two encounters with the cicadas in the suburbs. That was enough for me and for the next 17 years, I'll enjoy the solitary buzz of the perennial cicada over the drone of millions.
What lessons can be learned from the 17-year cicada? Here's a 10 bits of wisdom from Phil Vettel, restaurant critic for the Chicago Tribune:
10 Bits of Wisdom
By Phil Vettel
Published June 24, 2007
Savor every moment. Good times can be farther apart than you know.
Whether you consider it clean or dirty, you still don't want to get too close to a dog's mouth.
It doesn't matter that you fly badly. Only that you fly.
Be patient. Even bottom feeders get their day in the sun.
It's amazing how little you really need to throw a good party.
Stupidity and ineptitude are not insurmountable when you have numbers on your side.
Make all the noise you want, but it's common decency to quiet down during bedtime.
Beware excessive pickiness. Spend too much time looking for your perfect match, and life will pass you by.
Persistence pays off.
It can seem like forever, but 17 years can come and go in a hurry.
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
