Every year, my sister goes beach camping with a big group of people. Getting a camp site is a whole story in and of itself because they have to call the reservation number the morning it opens over and over until they get someone. Then they have to take whatever day is still available because the entire season fills up within hours.
One year when I was still in college, I got to go down and participate. It was the best camping I've ever done, including all the camping I did as a Scout.
I was exhausted from studying and tests and didn't feel much like getting in the ocean, so I just brought a book to read. I sat under an umbrella and got to be lazy without any guilt. Is there anything better?
The problem came on the last day when I didn't notice the sun shifting overhead and ended up with my legs in the sun for most of the afternoon. By the time I noticed, it was too late. The next day, they swelled up and got all red. I thought I was going to have to amputate. By the end of the week, they had turned purple. I'm not kidding you. They were dark purple. I'm amazed they didn't blister or something. It's probably a medical miracle. I just wish I had a picture of them to post as well. It was really creepy to have pasty white arms and plum colored legs.
True to my genetic heritage, once the purple was gone, they immediately returned to their translucent white. After all that, I didn't even get the benefit of a nice tan.
2 comments:
I've seen that purple color before. My daughter is a lifeguard at a local water park and there is this kid that she worked with who apparently didn't realize you could put sunblock on the top of your feet. I can not and don't want to imagine that kind of pain.
I remember your legs vividly. I have never seen a worse sunburn.
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