Those Rainbows

I didn’t get to see the double rainbows yesterday. I attended a city council meeting listening to financial approvals, explanations, and proclamations. All were important to someone as noted in this morning’s The Westerville News.

At one point the storm that barely arrived startled everyone with a bolt of lightning and the following thunderclap that shook city hall. But city business proceeded without further interruption from outside sources.

After the meeting I checked my phone finding a message asking if I’d made any photos of the double rainbow. Double rainbow? What double rainbow?

At first, I was disappointed that I’d missed it because I was sitting in a city council meeting with financial approvals, explanations, and proclamations.

A quick surrender to knowing I missed the moment because I was unaware and didn’t have any control over the situation gave me a slightly better attitude. That perspective was reinforced later when I saw Bill Golden’s Facebook post.

“OK Westerville it’s time to show me all your rainbow photos!”

As I write this newsletter there are more than 100 photos and videos posted in response to his request.

Commonality, or loss of commonality, sits at the center of my informal studies of society. I have a lengthy treatise detailing my theories about splits in the structure of modern society. It includes newspapers and Dave Garroway. Ask me about it sometime.

The joy in looking at the responses to Bill’s Facebook post is knowing that for a brief moment on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, a community stood together in awe to witness a natural phenomenon. Then they shared their photos, probably all from their phones.

Although I missed seeing the rainbows I can participate in the commonality because I know so many people in my community had a moment when only one thing mattered. Something rare. Something beautiful. Something so beautiful, spectacular, and transcendent that they had to make a photo of it and then share it.

That moment of awe shared among others is one of the powers of photography.

I’m so glad I’m a photographer.

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Consider subscribing to The Westerville News and PhotoCamp Daily. My Final Photo News also recommends Civic Capacity and Into the Morning by Krista Steele.