exciting when they appear again. You can hear the oohs and ahhhs up
and down the block the night they first appear.
I don't recall the first time I saw them. But I do remember the first
time young Tom saw "lightning bugs." We were just leaving Casa Zamora,
a Mexican restaurant in Albert Lea, Minnesota when he saw them. "What
are those?" he asked. I told him; he was thrilled.
I also remember the excitement when customers spotted fireflies out
the windows of Bill's Coffeeshop. Those were wonderful moments, ones
to be scooped up and saved.
Lately, I've been thinking that fireflies would make a great gift for
graduates in social work. In fact, I think they would make a great
symbol for the profession.
Other professions have symbols, like stethoscopes for doctors,
calculators for engineers and hammers for carpenters. But there's
never really been anything for social work.
So why not fireflies? We could start by presenting each graduate with
a "lantern" of fireflies.
One reason for choosing fireflies is that they illuminate dark places.
And they
do it in such a wonderful way.
Another reason for fireflies is that they are a great symbol of hope.
No matter how cold the winter or wet the spring they always return.
Both of these -- illumination and hope -- are roles associated with
social workers.
Like so many things in this Newsletter, the idea of a gift of a
firefly came to me in a coffeeshop. Leah gave it to me along with a
double mocha.
She had told me her parents were "firefly farmers." It was supposed to
be a joke, she told me later. But at the time I believed her. After
all, I've met people who grow worms and ladybugs. And we all know
about "ant farms."
So why not "firefly farms." We could raise fireflies and then
distribute them to communities which don't have any -- or don't have
enough.
Of course, I wonder what Bill's reaction might have been to fireflies.
I would guess that he was delighted with them. "Hey buddy," he might
have said, "Look at the lights on those little bugs."
So when you see the fireflies for the first time this year, consider
the possibility that they could be symbols for social work.
Posts
19 comments:
I will never look at fireflies the same again! I will now always think of social work. It is a great, unique idea.
-Stephanie D.
I think using the firefly as the symbol for social work is a great idea! The firefly seems to encompass everything the field is about! Let's make it happen! :)
Leslie S.
To shine a light in the darkness!! When I was a young girl we played amongst the fire flies. Fun! Fun! I love the idea that they be a symbol of social work.
B Kirk
I think having fireflies as the symbol of social work is a great idea. I am not a bug person at all and I have never really liked fireflies until now. I thought it was cool that they lit up, but other than that I did not care for them that much because it's a bug. But everytime I see a firefly I will be reminded of social work and what they represent- illumination and hope. I think it would be awesome to receive a latern of fireflies to remind us of our work and what we stand for. Hope and illumination. We are to bring light and hope into dark places, like how fireflies bring light into dark places. It's a great concept!
Sarah J.
I think that firefiles would make great symbols for social work because they do light up dark places and they make people hopeful and i think that social workers can give people hope.
Callie
linsey,
I think that fireflys are a great idea. They made me first think of social workers in the sense that their light flickers out and then they reapper either in the some place or somewhere else. Like social workers you may not hear of them very much or see them but they are always there. Also, we move all over the place and we bring a light of hope to every where we are.
I too like the idea of the firefly as a symbol of our profession. It does make for an interesting image. We do spread hope and light to people when they are at there lowest lows and darkest of days. I like the lantern lightning bug philosphy too. We sometimes need a little reminder to hang nearby to remind us why and what we are supposed to be doing.
I think fireflies would be an excellent symbol for social workers. Especially the way they were described and what they represent, it would go hand in hand.
t williams
Rachael Hayenga
I think fireflies would be a great symbol for social work. Social workers give hope to those they help. We also illuminate the path that those we help take.
Fireflies would be a good symbol for social workers.
Until i read this article, i never really thought about social work having a symbol like other professions. I think a firefly is perfect. My favorite part was how social workers, like fireflies, light up dark places, i think a firefly is a great symbol. Excellent Comparison
Molly Lapp
i live this idea!!! it not something u would normally guess because like u dont use fireflys every day like the other profesions. and bty i think if we talk all the fireflys and gave them out for graduation there would be none left!!! lol\
sara reurink:)
I like the idea of the firefly... especially the part about lighting up the darkness, because that is what a social worker does. They make light where there is none. That would be the perfect symbol! And giving fireflies to social worker grads.... thats a pretty cute idea!
Kayla Nelson
I like the thought of it as a symbol. A firefly is a symbol of hope, day or night. It is like your guide or saviour!
~Kristi Schumacher~
I like the thought of it as a symbol. A firefly is a symbol of hope, day or night. It is like your guide or saviour!
~Kristi Schumacher~
Having a fire fly for a symbol is a good idea.... fire flys bring light just like soical workers!!!!
they light the way for others!
Amanda Nelson
Fireflies, how delightful! I never would have put fireflies and Social Work together, but after reading the blog, I can certainly see that when the fireflies' light appears in the darkness how it might compare to helping others such as a social worker or missionary. A firefly appears out of nowhere and suddenly there is a sparkle of flickering light--like a sparkle of flickering hope that ignites in a person when someone else "gives" a little of themselves to someone else's situation. I still connect to the saying, "stop and small the roses". Maybe we could say, working in social work is like a firefly appearing in the night to give light and hope where only darkness once was in a person's life, and to appear in the darkness of someone's life is to place a little "light" in their darkness, we need to "stop and small the roses!" Tammy Ackerman
Very poetic! However, to be known as "lampyridae" or "glow worms"?? It is an excellent meteaphor but if you dissect the meaning?????
Well what a concept. It would be great to use for the social work practice. I had an experience with fireflies. When my neice and nephew were little about 4 - 8 years old we went for a walk and on our walk we found fireflies. It was the most interesting time. The kids wanted to catch them because they had little lights on the end of them. When we caught them we took them home and my great grandfather told them a story about fireflies. They both listened all attentive and I will not forget the looks on their face. It was such an innoscent time for them. I figure that fireflies lit up their interest and their life at the time. I wonder if I told them of the experience now what it will mean to them still and if they remember it. I wonder if there are still fireflies on that hilltop. To me it will resemble social work studies.
Toni Handboy
It's awesome of someone to think that way of fireflies. I will to never look at them the same. It's a great idea of how someone can think of fireflies a symbol of social work. I think it is pretty cool.
J. Cavanaugh
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