This seems as good a time as any to share with you some prizes of my rainbow collection.
To me, the rainbow brings joy. It belongs to all humanity. It’s part of an ancient promise to humankind.
Usually I’m always chasing sunsets. Rainbows are far more elusive, but when I sense one coming on, I stalk it with my trusty camera.
Unfortunately, my trusty camera was inside the wrong side of a car shortly after the summer solstice (10:58 a.m. EST today). We were southbound on Interstate 684 when my wife and daughter spotted a large, north-south rainbow almost directly overhead at about noontime. It lingered high in the clouds for about 20 minutes as we hurried to our destination.
My daughter’s research concluded that the phenomenon occurred because sun was shining through ice crystals from close to 90 degrees. The scientific explanation doesn’t matter. It was simply another welcome sign on our way to an important life milestone.
Serendipity? Perhaps. Or perhaps another sign from God.
The song “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” was based on the melody of Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin. It was first published in 1917, with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. Those lyrics, however, are sad:
At the end of the rainbow there’s happiness
And to find it how often I’ve tried
But my life is a race just a wild goose chase
And my dreams have all been denied
Why have I always been a failure?
What can the reason be?
I wonder if the world’s to blame
I wonder if it could be me?
I’m always chasing rainbows
Watching clouds drifting by
My schemes are just like all my dreams
Ending in the sky
Some fellows look and find the sunshine
I always look and find the rain
Some fellows make a winning some time
I never even make a gain, believe me
I’m always chasing rainbows
Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain
I’ve looked to the west as the sun goes down
And I’ve followed its glorious rays
But the faster I’d run I would miss the sun
My life’s full of wasted days
I’ve always been a natural loser
Each thing I touch must fail
If good luck ever came to me it would never seem right at all
(Source: Wikipedia)
Here’s Liberace performing the Chopin and Dinah Shore singing along on “The Dinah Shore Show,” January 20, 1963. Enjoy!