I have been worshipping the sun most of my life. At the young age of 9, I remember spending my Easter vacation laying outside in my backyard. I always hated my white, white skin and all my freckles. I liked to lay out in hopes my freckles would all blend in. The sun actually made my freckles stick out even more and my white skin would burn, turn to a tan, and fade away within days.
In high school, I would skip seminary so I could lay out. Seminary was held at 11 AM which was great laying out suntime. I really looked great at the end of that year...
In college, I would lay out by the pool with baby oil. We would spend weekends at the pool and holidays at Lake Powell and I would return home a nice shade of brown. Again, days later it would fade.
In my 20s, I would go outside acting like I was just reading my book in the sun, but I was totally hoping for a tan. I would pull up my shorts and t-shirt. Is there such a thing as a closet tanner?
As a responsible adult and mother of 2, I no longer lay out (but I want to). I go to the beach and responsibly put on sunscreen. But I am going through a personal dilemma...because I really like having tan legs in the summer. I smother my children with suntan lotion, and I make sure to lotion my at least my face because I really don't like the wrinkly-face-look. Most of my girlfriends go tanning and a part of me wants to have a nice tan all over my body and the other part of me worries about cooking my insides and ugly wrinkles.
I hope that as I mature I will no longer care about looking tan. Even when I say I don't want to get tan, I am totally lying. I don't know, perhaps white skin will becomes fashionable again.
I went to the beach today and I am heading there again next week. I secretly hope to come home with tan legs!
10 comments:
I am going through the same thing. All of the sudden I am feeling like I need to be more responsible for my skin. And seeing the grandmas with leather skin and wrinkly, tan faces makes me realize that I DO NOT want to look like them when I am a grandma.
I bought some tanning lotion- but it's the kind that is 1/2 lotion and 1/2 tanner. And I like it so far.
But I know what you mean. I always feel cuter (and thinner) when I am tan. And I always get depressed in the winter and the tanning bed really helps me feel better. So I guess I will end up an old wrinkly grandma. Because I can not live without sunshine!
Cheechers...you must've read my mind! So we went on Trek and I thought that I would get so tan...and I did but I also ended up with a bottom lip full of cold sores, 5 to be exact. The most I've ever had at one time! They hurt so bad I want to rip my lippies off!
Anyway, I always feel better tan. I don't know what it is, maybe some kind of endorphine or something. But, I just noticed a huge crease in my forehead where I scowl. It's the only white part of my face now....I'm going to be more careful in the future.
P.S. I love to pull the dead skin off of a nice peel...I know I'm not the only one who enjoys this!
samers.
i love to feel the sun on my face, but i'm now old enough to know what that means. yet i still skip sunscreen sometimes because, well, i just don't burn.
but i need to start wearing a hat and using an umbrella. it will be sad, but it's worth it ... right?
So true! I think we all LOVE being tan and it is just too sad that I know its bad for the skin! But I agree that it's all about the look. Keep up on the face, but otherwise go all out! Wrinkles don't really show up on legs, right? :)
Thanks for the honesty Rach. Funny thing is, in high school I avoided the sun so I wouldn't look like I was another race. I tan so much that I look funny. Everybody is different aren't they?!? You should check me out now after the vacation I just went on, I definitely don't look like Evanston Kendee.
I TOTALLY ADORE a good tan...there is nothing better than legs and arms and even a nose that has been out in the sun.
Another reason why I love a tan is the fact that it can hide flaws...for example tan fat looks much better than white fat...
I don't worry too much about it anymore even if I do prefer a tan...also I like to remind myself that 100 years ago having a tan meant that you were a worker and socially it was better to have milky white skin, which I am trying to bring back single handedly. Want to help?
Ok, I read all the comments from the young girls and here is the opinion from one of those grandma's with wrinkles.
Having a tan is by far so much more beautiful. PERIOD!!
I have never been able to get a tan though no matter how much I tried and yes I poured the baby oil all over me as I laid out in the hot sun at 12:00 noon during my lunch breaks from work. I always got a very nice burn but I felt pinkish red to glowing red was better than white. Well girls, not only does that wicked sun give you wrinkles but also skin cancer. I have had to have some pre-cancerous spots taken off my face and this is a scary thing. Please be careful girls, having a tan is beautiful but when you get to be my age the tan doesn't matter anymore but hoping to avoid cancer is a big one. Go ahead and worship the sun if you need to but be very wise and don't forget the sun screen, especially on your faces!! Just my humble opinion.
Thanks Babs...I promise to always keep my face covered in sunscreen.
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