AUGUST 14th - Some Things Last a Long Time



On this day in 1979, there was a rainbow in Northern Wales that could be seen for 3 hours. That is an extremely long-lasting rainbow. Most only last for a few minutes. There has since been a 6 hour rainbow in Sheffield in 1994, but that happened on March 14th and so is only relevant for comparative purposes. I know that a rainbow lasting for a such a long duration is extremely rare what the with the atmospheric conditions that have to be just right for the tiny drops of moisture to reflect the sunlight into a prism of color most of which the human eye cannot even distinguish, but I wonder if seeing a rainbow for that long is a toonsy bit overkill? It’s like that person you know that smiles all the time. All. The. Time. At first it makes you feel good. Look at that Trixie. She’s always so happy, always smiling. It reminds you that life should be enjoyed. But then you notice that she is always smiling. All. The. Time. What is Trixie so happy about? Her name is Trixie for goodness’ sake. That alone should cause at least a few minutes of silent stoic contemplation if not some occasionally flashes of anger or parental mistrust. But Trixie just smiles her days away as if her aura is wrapped with one big Dr. Scholl’s Gellin’ Magellan foam insert. You begin to become suspicious of Trixie. Nobody is that happy all the time. There is something wrong with her. You saw her smiling all the way through the movie My Life with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman, and that’s just crazy. Michael Keaton spends the whole movie giving advice to his unborn child because Michael Keaton is dying of cancer. You can’t smile through that movie unless you are a robot or a sociopath. Do you think that Trixie is a robot or a sociopath? The world can be a cold, dark, scary place and sometimes you need to scream or cry or zone out. But no, you just smile away. Do you think you’re better than me, Trixie?... See what I mean? Things can go dark pretty quick. So while I do appreciate the longevity of these marathon rainbows, I am thankful they are not a common occurrence. They might cause migraines or something. Plus if Trixie smiles all the time, then I don’t feel special when I see her, because she smiles for everyone. See what I mean? So be happy and notice rainbows, but don’t neglect the gamut of emotions (except for the feelings that you should keep buried in the pit of your stomach). Permanence doesn’t have a monopoly on appreciation. Some things last a long time. Others are flashes. The trick is finding the right things to appreciate. And honestly, Trixie’s never-ending smile and long-lasting rainbows--while each may deserve some appreciation--in the grand scheme of things are pretty low on the list. Unless you love Trixie, in which case you should appreciate her. Maybe she’s always smiling because she loves you back. Or she’s a robot.

This day has been Marked.

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