Getting Burned by My Ego

This is a letter to myself, for the next time I don't want to apply sunscreen. Dear future self,

Just be honest with yourself. You are only out in the sun about three times per summer when your entire back is exposed to direct sunlight. This frequency does not make for a great tan anyway, so stop fooling yourself into thinking that not wearing sunscreen is going to help your tan.

The last time you didn't use sunscreen, you looked like this for five days. Miserable. Luckily, you have a generous wife who applied lots of after sun lotion to the parts of your back you could not reach. And when the burning and radiating heat subsided, then came the itching and the peeling. The creepy-crawling, can't-think-straight-unless-you-scratch-it itching. Ain't nobody got time for dat.

Next time you are about to be in the sun with your shirt off, take a moment to read this post, swallow your ego and get some sunscreen on your back. You'll try to talk yourself down the SPF ladder, but it's got to be at least 30 SPF.

It's time to set an example for your daughter, too. I know, you are 20 minutes late because you just spent that amount of time chasing her around the house trying to lather her up with sunscreen. She's quick and cute, and running around the house trying to get her covered in sunscreen takes a lot of energy. You still have to do it.

OK, sunscreen sermon over. Don't let it happen again. It's not worth it.

Sincerely, Your sunburned self

P.S. The day you were burned was lots of fun; you took the day off from work and went to the pool with your family. Here's a video of Rooney on the slide. Do that more in the future! But apply sunscreen.

Anyone else stubborn about applying sunscreen?