I have recently come out of a relationship that I thought, well was going great. But like the sun's harmful rays, it snuck up on me and I got, well, burned. Hence the name of this post.
The other night I was in the gym, trying to keep my mind off of things (at least until my finals are over), and was listening to my ipod. One song came on from my 90's playlist that I had not heard in about 11 years. It dawned on me that perhaps I needed to heed some advice from it. I mean, how many people out there can truthfully say that they haven't been inspired by a song. That is what I thought.
If you haven't already guessed... that song was Sunscreen. The lyrics really spoke to me, especially during this rough patch in my life. They are as follows:
Baz Luhrman - Sunscreen Speech
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 99...
Wear sunscreen
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh never mind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you cant grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked...You're not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing
Don't be reckless with other peoples hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind...the race is long, and in the end its only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what to do with your life...the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you wont, maybe you'll have children, maybe you wont, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary...what ever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either - your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can...don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, its the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance...even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you'll never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, price will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time its 40, it will look 85.
Be careful who advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of wishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than its worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen...
I decided that after listening to this song, that it was 100% spot on. I have been living my life for someone else for so long, that I had forgotten all the things that I love to do and want to do, whether it be now or further down the road. I use to be a carefree, easy going, what comes will come, kind of person, but I got so wrapped up in things, that I let go of all of it.
Well, that stops now. I am going to become that crazy, energetic person, the one that sometimes my friends would have to barricade themselves in their room in order to get anything done. I miss those "on the whim" trips my friends and I use to take.
Like that time Billy and I went to Dothan for his hockey tournament. We never saw the Peanut Festival, but we had a blast. Or how about that time Sarah and I went to crash a wedding in Auburn?
For those of my friends who have felt left out or abandoned over the past year, I apologize. No more, Mere is back and is here to stay. I am going to start living for myself. I don't care what people think of me anymore. My old motto was, take it or leave it, honey!
Well, now I am putting on my sunscreen and heading out for the new bright days that lay ahead of me. Its going to be a long trek to get back to where I was, and of course the mourning process is far but over, but soon I hope that the veil will be lifted and I will be able to face the sun.
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