The Truth About The Double Rainbow Guy
Sometimes it's hard to see the world even when you're looking right at it, especially once you grow up. Perhaps in the unencumbered mind of a child, broccoli looks like a tiny tree, making plate look like a sumptuous serving of vaguely fart-scented forest. Once you internalize the idea that it's time to put away childish things and focus on the demands of adulthood, it's far harder to see the broccoli forest for the trees. But not everyone loses their youthful appreciation of the world.
Paul L. Vasquez took the time to marvel at the profound beauty of the world in front of him. In 2010, he shared that depth of wonder and appreciation with a viral YouTube video in which he effusively gushed over the sight of a double rainbow. At one point he remarks that it looks like it could become a triple rainbow. He laughs to the point of weeping and ponders what it means in the grand scheme of things. Sadly, in 2020, he made others cry by dying.
Somewhere over the rainbows
Paul Vasquez, or as he was lovingly dubbed, "the Double Rainbow Guy," grew and used cannabis, per the Associated Press. So you may assume he was somewhere over those rainbows way up high. But he simply had a deep appreciation of nature. He lived in solitude near Yosemite National Park, which allowed him to become more attuned to nature. Vasquez previously lived in Los Angeles and worked as a firefighter.
Vasquez's video rocketed to prominence after Jimmy Kimmel tweeted about it. The late night king maker made Vasquez an instant star, leading to appearances on TV shows and commercials. But the good times couldn't roll forever. In 2020, Vasquez felt unwell and decided to get tested for COVID-19. But he expressed on Facebook that he didn't expect to test positive. The Modesto Bee quotes his post: "I'll get my results in two days, however at this point I'm fairly certain that I don't have it. I didn't have a fever. Something else is going on with me." He was right. At the age of 57, Paul Vasquez died. He wasn't wealthy, via NPR, but never considered profiting off his video. He explained: "I wanted to gift my most popular piece of work to humanity. It's like here. Here's my heart. Here's my best thing that I ever made, and you can have it for free."