The Real Rainbow

The original picture from Roses to Rainbows...in a Rose Garden

I missed posting on my blog anniversary this year. It turned 13 on September 30 of this year. What can I say? Times are different and I've lost any readership I had. I do darken the virtual doors on occasion and this topic has been on my mind for a while. My blog is not about rainbows or rose gardens, although both rainbows and roses do appear randomly in pictures I've taken.

That said, on occasion, I have used a rainbow design or rainbow colors as an illustration for a post. As I reflect on those posts, I often regret using anything other than an actual photograph of a rainbow. Why? Because real rainbows only occur in nature when it rains and the sunlight hits the droplets forming one of nature's most joyful sights.

If you are wondering why I object to other uses of the rainbow, I will tell you. The original rainbow was God's promise to Noah that He would never again destroy all flesh with a global flood. Now that sacred symbol is used to represent the pride of a certain group of people. 

What adult people do among themselves is their business, and I'm not here to judge that. I do think, however, that things have evolved from a personal, "live and let live" motto to a very public "Hey, look at me" kind of thing.  It seems to me that no one group (or community as they are often referred to) should be of any greater focus than any other.

In contemplating this post, I did a search and found that the rainbow had been co-opted to represent this community all the way back in 1978. Had I considered that at the time I was searching for a blog name, I may not have chosen Roses to Rainbows, lest potential readers get the wrong idea. Anyone actually reading here would surely know otherwise.

During my search, I also found an article called "Taking Back The Rainbow" which was written in 2007. I believe that one's faith is personal, and again, I am not here to judge anyone for theirs. However, the article, based on the author's faith, clearly states the origin of the rainbow and why it is still important today. I would very much like to "take the rainbow back".

Below are links to how my blog actually got it's name. There was an real rose garden and a rainbow after a summer rain.

Reynolda Gardens (How I Named my Blog - Part I)

It's All in the Name (How I Named my Blog - Part II)