The Rainbow Connection

Often we mark tragic events with the location we were at when we heard the news or when it happened. Sometimes you just can't help it. On the other end of the spectrum I have a tendency to recollect where I was when a particular thing of beauty caught my fancy. That list goes on and on and it would be hard to pick a favorite. There are varying degrees of breath taking beauty, some of it carries through, even in second generation. Here are two of my favorites.

     The first one took place out on the prairie. Oh, how I love the prairie, especially in the morning. As the sun begins to wake and bring life to the day, the show of colors is stunning. There is a brief few moments when both baby blue and baby pink consume the sky. I never fail to think of my two children every time I'm a wittiness to this. The most memorable time took place mere moments before the sun broke the horizon. A faint drizzle fell over the dry ground and I began to see the silhouettes of antelope, quite close and to my immediate left. As force of habit and disciplined training, I never forget to "look for the accomplice". In doing so, I turned over my right shoulder and froze................... My daughter was with me at the time, so I gently put my hand on her shoulder and when she turned to look at me I simply said,"WOW"!  There, what seemed to 10 yards away was the beginning of a rainbow, protruding from the ground and jetting up into the sky. I uttered my favorite phrase when stuff like this happens; " you ain't gonna see stuff like this, sitting home on the couch". I grabbed my camera, squeezed off a shot, and just like that it was gone.

    

The second is odd to say the least, but you will have the opportunity to experience it for yourself. If you don't know who Charlie Chaplin is, you probably don't have your parents permission to be on their computer or your babysitter fell asleep reading this blog. Our famous little tramp, star of silent pictures, black derby, bamboo cane, matching eye brows and mustache. A silent comedian, the master of prat falls and getting one over on the bad guys. All that and never uttering a word! As I sat the other night getting ready to settle in and watch the classic 1928 Charlie Chaplin film, The Circus, my jaw dropped. As the movie starts, yes at the very beginning, a song begins and it's Charlie, himself singing! My eyes welled up as I listened to him sing the song, Swing Little Girl. A real thing of beauty.

     'Swing Little Girl'Music and Lyrics by Charles Chaplin
Sung by Charles Chaplin
Written for the 1970 reissue of 'The Circus'
Opening Credits.
Swing Little Girl
Swing Little Girl,
Swing, high, to the sky,
And don’t ever look at the ground,

If you’re looking for rainbows,
Look up, to the sky,

You’ll never find Rainbows,
If you’re looking down,

Life maybe be dreary,
But never the same,

Some day(s), it’s sunshine
Some day(s), it’s rain,

Swing Little Girl,
Swing high, to the sky,
And don’t ever look to the ground,

If you’re looking for rainbows,
Look up to the sky,
But never, no never, look down,