The Bane of the Burn

Some things just linger. The aroma of freshly washed linens. A wonderful piece of music. The great lift you have after watching a feel-good movie. The meatloaf you ate an hour ago. The sunburn you got at the Gulf.

Oops.

Fairskinned or not, most people tend to burn when they go to the beach. But some people, who have suffered from extensive sunburns in the past, are smart enough to use sunscreen when they visit the beach on the other side of the state in their spur-of-the-moment vacation. Of course, some people, like most people, want a little bit of sun because what's the point in going to the beach if no one can tell you've been there?

So some fairskinned people would, perhaps, choose to snorkel for an hour in the Gulf of Mexico. Then, she might decide that, since the freckles on her arms were standing at complete attention, it was time to put on some sunscreen.

Some people, but not many, would think to slather sunscreen on their arms, but would completely forget that their legs were also in the sun. Those not-thinking-too-clearly people might then play for a few more hours at the beach before realizing that snorkeling is the equivalent of lying face down on the beach in the sun.

When this not-too-bright person returned to her motel room, she might discover that the back of her legs were bright, glazing red. She might even be in such pain that she couldn't sit on a chair or couch or anything that came in contact with the back of her legs.

This same person might swallow the pain for a couple of days, only to be overwhelmed by the itching and flaking and peeling that would happen a few days later. This same person might even wake up in the middle of the night, a week later, clawing and scratching her way back from the insane itching.

It was so worth it.