Mother Knows Best

Summer has always been my favorite season. Growing up next to the ocean, my favorite summer activity was going to the beach and my memories are laced with splashing in waves and building sand castles. However, I always hated putting on sunscreen. Like every other child, I cringed away as my mother slathered lotion on my unwilling limbs. Even now, I dislike the activity and conveniently forget to reapply all the time.

This habit often leads to minor sunburns, but sometimes has much more painful consequences. Last week on the island Adunara, the crew had a play day. We hoisted our downwind parachute sail (the spinnaker) off the bow, and used the power of the wind to fly out of the water up to heights up to about forty feet in the air. It was great fun and we wore ourselves out with all the spinnaker flying, swimming and laughing.

A little later, I began noticing that much of my body was beginning to feel a little singed. I realized that I had completely failed to put sunscreen on any part of my bathing suit clad body besides my face. In the tropics, on a hot and sunny day, this was a terrible mistake. I turned red as a lobster. Even through their sunscreen, Adam, Amanda and Alan also suffered sunburns. Now, the days later, it still aches. Sigh.

What have I learned from this? Well, I will be careful to apply sunscreen from now on, especially so close to the equator. Also, as I am often reminded, mother knows best.