Rainbows vs. Rays
I was walking home from school today around 3:30 and as I was crossing the Brooklyn Bridge I looked towards the south where Liberty island is and I noticed all around that spiratic rays of sunshine were falling all along the sound. It was without a doubt a sight to be seen. So it got me to think. How is it that we don't necessarily care where rays of light fall, but we always want to know where rainbows falls?
Now of course the easy answer to this is that Rays of light can actually be detected and can be seen where they fall. Rainbows on the other hand are an optical illusion and therefore there really isn't a place where the rainbow ends. As a matter of fact it's a complete circle of which we only see half of. There really is no challenge in finding where Ray falls compared to a rainbow. Therefore a rainbow is romanticized so much more than a ray. Even though we do this I don't think we should dismiss the notion of a ray of light so quickly as compared to a rainbow.
Both the ray and the rainbow are symbols of good things. A ray of light is often compared to hope. That through the thickening clouds there is somewhere a bright day. A ray of light is also life affirming. A cloudy day sometimes gives a sense of a lifeless plane. When light pops through clouds you can say "Ok it's not as bad". A rainbow in biblical context was a sign of God's promise to Moses to never flood the Earth again wiping out the evil. It can be seen as a sign of the worst has past.
Rainbows and rays have different qualities to them besides just being symbols. A ray of light is a white light, which contains all color, including those of a rainbow. It is more frequently seen than a rainbow and it is tangible. If you stand inside a ray of light you can feel the heat comming onto you. However the white light can also be seen as dull. People can get used to it. Rainbows are very rare. At most you may see them maybe once or tiwce a year if you are lucky. There needs to be specific conditions to see the rainbow. Unfortunetly though it is only a visual stimulation. It is very colorful and is pleasant to the eyes but thats where it stops. You can't step into a rainbow.
I think personally I would choose to see a ray rather than a rainbow. Visually it is beautiful to see where the rays will fall and where there is darkness. Rainbows to me don't seem real to me. Just like a fireworks display they are gone so quick and it's a cheap thrill.
Now of course the easy answer to this is that Rays of light can actually be detected and can be seen where they fall. Rainbows on the other hand are an optical illusion and therefore there really isn't a place where the rainbow ends. As a matter of fact it's a complete circle of which we only see half of. There really is no challenge in finding where Ray falls compared to a rainbow. Therefore a rainbow is romanticized so much more than a ray. Even though we do this I don't think we should dismiss the notion of a ray of light so quickly as compared to a rainbow.
Both the ray and the rainbow are symbols of good things. A ray of light is often compared to hope. That through the thickening clouds there is somewhere a bright day. A ray of light is also life affirming. A cloudy day sometimes gives a sense of a lifeless plane. When light pops through clouds you can say "Ok it's not as bad". A rainbow in biblical context was a sign of God's promise to Moses to never flood the Earth again wiping out the evil. It can be seen as a sign of the worst has past.
Rainbows and rays have different qualities to them besides just being symbols. A ray of light is a white light, which contains all color, including those of a rainbow. It is more frequently seen than a rainbow and it is tangible. If you stand inside a ray of light you can feel the heat comming onto you. However the white light can also be seen as dull. People can get used to it. Rainbows are very rare. At most you may see them maybe once or tiwce a year if you are lucky. There needs to be specific conditions to see the rainbow. Unfortunetly though it is only a visual stimulation. It is very colorful and is pleasant to the eyes but thats where it stops. You can't step into a rainbow.
I think personally I would choose to see a ray rather than a rainbow. Visually it is beautiful to see where the rays will fall and where there is darkness. Rainbows to me don't seem real to me. Just like a fireworks display they are gone so quick and it's a cheap thrill.