Since I thought he was joking, I told him I'd be rolling around in the snowbanks outside my home to give my skin a nice rosy glow.
But he was serious, and even told me where he'd be tanning.
And I was all, "No you aren't."
Yes he was. And so were a lot of other guys and girls in my class.
To get ready for prom.
My skin comes in two shades: Pasty, and Sun Poisoned Sienna, and in my youth I alternated between these. I'd get red and blistered, then the burn would peel off and I'd be Pasty again, with some fine new freckles. I've since settled into a more permanent Pasty, protected with slabs of SPF 250.
But when I was 16, and sir asked me where I'd be tanning, I began to notice how many of my classmates were glowing.
In January.
In Upstate New York.
Word on the street is that this is still popular.
I know this because I am back in Upstate New York.
In January.
And people are still glowing.
Something is not right here.
This NYT article reports:
Indoor tanning, it seems, has become in many families a mother-daughter bonding ritual, like shopping or going to the hairdresser.Why not just roll around in a snow bank?
Rosy glow, mood enhancing, and free.
Just sayin.
(Thanks Kristi, for pointing this one out.)
We've had a bit of a backlash recently in Australia, since a young girl who died of cancer started campaigning against tanning beds.
ReplyDeleteMore people are opting for spray tans, rather than pumping their skin full of UV which we have in abundance in this country for free, anyway.
It just seems silly to me.
A friend just recommended your blog. Nicely done! My daughter's only 15 months right now, but I appreciate the insight early. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI live in Texas where it is sunny even in the winter. Yet, girls are still hitting the tanning beds. At least they have now made it illegal for anyone under 18. I remember most of my friends in HS being obsessed with their tans. I was waaay on the other end of the spectrum and avoided the sun as much as possible. I even lied to my dance instructor that I had a skin condition that prevented me from getting sun exposure and was allowed to break uniform and wear a shirt when outdoors for practice. Guess what, I was one of the few at our 10yr reunion last year that did not have deep crow's feet emerging already. I think I won. ;)
ReplyDeleteJust a heads-up: For Miss I's 5th birthday in August, we having her party at Golden Tans. Every Kindergartener gets 20 minutes under the lamps! Mommies tan free. :)
ReplyDelete