Make Mine SPF50 by Susan Shull

I had a job every summer beginning in high school and continuing through college. It wasn’t a paying job, but I took it very seriously none-the-less. I only worked on sunny days, but if necessary, I worked seven days a week.

My occupation from the time school was out in May until it began again in August was to get the deepest, darkest tan I possibly could.

We were lucky to have a nice pond just a little ways from our house with a concrete area that dad put in so we could get to the deeper water without having to walk through the squishy muck on the edge. After being down there for awhile our noses would even become used to the hog smell emanating from the building not 100 steps away! Believe me, after lying on a raft for four hours in the hot sun, the cool water more than made up for the odor if the wind was from the south. Totally covered- not in sunscreen- but in baby oil, Diana, Kathy, Bev, Nancy and I would meet there every day with our rafts and inner tubes, ready to spend the afternoon floating around discussing boys, 4-H projects, and other things girl. We felt the day had been productive if we were just a little burned with a few blisters. Oh the foolishness of youth!

(FYI-Nancy and Bev are Brad’s sisters. Back then, Nancy was one of my best friends and Brad was the guy who, if he had to haul us to Newton, would make us duck down on the floorboard of his car when we drove past the Dog-N-Suds. He certainly didn’t want to be seen with his little sister and her dorky friend!)

Since I was very good at my job, I always had a very dark tan. Unfortunately, now I am paying the price for all of those sunburns. I have already had one basal cell carcinoma and another precancerous spot removed from my face. Never mind the wrinkles. I am afraid the dermatologist and I are going to become good friends before this is over.

It is hard to believe that back then no one seemed to know the dangers of melanoma and other skin cancers caused from excess exposure to UVB rays. My friends and I innocently damaged our skin. Thank goodness teenage girls today don’t have to make the same mistakes we did. Warnings about skin cancer are in every magazine, so ignorance is no excuse.

Resist temptation, girls. Stay out of the tanning bed, use sunscreen every day, and be proud if you have lily-white skin!