I Have Cicada Envy
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Everywhere I turn lately, there is cicada news. Cicadas are emerging in Indiana. Cicadas “came out to play” in Maryland this weekend. They’ve been spotted in greater Cincinnati. TRILLIONS of cicadas are going to emerge across 15 different states, including parts of New York. Where we’re not getting them: New York City and its surrounding suburbs, and I feel stressed. Not because I dread the noise or fear the bugs themselves. No, I am stressed because I am pretty sure I’m outside of Brood X territory, and that means I am going to miss the cicadas. I have cicada FOMO.
I understand that for many people, this would be a reprieve, not a disappointment; one of Google’s suggested follow-up questions when I was researching cicadas earlier was, “Why are cicadas so annoying?” Biologist Gene Kritsky told Atlas Obscura that during a really intense emergence, in the right area, “You’re yelling at who you’re talking to,” adding, “Even after you go inside your car and close your door, your ears are still ringing.” That sounds annoying but also extremely dramatic in a way that—I am not going to lie here—compels me quite a lot.