Thursday 2 November 2017

The Rainbow.


The little figure away in the distance is myself wearing my purple buffalo jacket, wonderful in cold and wet autumn days. I have had this jacket for years and I wear it often. It keeps me very warm and is actually meant to be worn with nothing under it.

It is not the oldest thing I have that I still wear. I have a body warmer with a Greenpeace badge that I had sown on the pocket. A rainbow with the word Greenpeace underneath it. I still wear it from time to time.

Yesterday my wife was cleaning out some of my clothes and came across a pullover she knitted for me and I think it may be even older. At one time the whole family had identical such pullovers. They were black and had a rainbow knitted across the chest and around the arms. We all wore them and were very proud to do so, the rainbow was a sign of peace.

I had many rainbow items, belts, bags and paintboxes.  Then for some reason, the rainbow became the national symbol of the gay and lesbian communities.

I can remember wearing my pullover and being asked if I was coming out. Now let me make it very clear I am and never have been anti-gay lesbian or any other group. I just felt that what had for centuries been an international sign of peace had become something else. I have a little buttonhole badge of a rainbow that says Give Peace a Chance. John Lennon designed and brought that out when his song of that name was a big hit.

As I say almost every ancient religion has a story about the rainbow as a sign of peace. The Noah story in the Bible is but one such story.

One I like and I cannot remember which culture it comes from is the tale of the colours of nature arguing about which colour was most important.

Green said it was most important it came in forty shades and was the colour of sustenance for nature.

Blue, of course, pointed out it was the colour of the seas and sky without both there would be nothing.

Yellow smiled and said I am the most important think of how you smile when you see a sunflower.

Red says it was the colour of life-giving blood.

Purple pulled himself up to his full height and said I am the most important I am the colour of royalty and regal thoughts.

Indigo quietly said I am the colour of silence without me there would be nothing but madness and superficiality.

As the all continued arguing the rain came and pounded on them all until the huddled together to give each other protection and peace in the midst of the storm. There in the sky appeared the rainbow, the sign of peace and togetherness.

Tonight  ( for anybody reading this it would be last night), I meet my friends for a nice hour or two, I think I will drag out my rainbow pullover and put it on for old times sake and as a symbol of peace and harmony. I am smiling. let anybody tell me other than this is what it is.

Have a beautiful and colourful day.

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