I had to stop at the grocery store today to pick up some supplies for the office and happened to run into a woman whom I haven’t seen for at least ten years or more. Her first remark to me after I said hello was, “Joe Chodur, how is it that you never change in looks?” I smiled and said, “Thanks, I don’t have a quarter.” “No, really!” she said. “You don’t even have wrinkles like my daughter who went to school with you.” Being a bit of a bit on the witty side I said, “You make sure you tell your daughter hi from me and also mention that she has more wrinkles than I have.” We both got a laugh out of that as we went on our merry way.
I can’t say there has been any real secret to me not having as many wrinkles as a large number of my juniors other than I never have, and likely won’t ever be a sun worshiper. Even when I was young and working in the gardens and fields, I nearly never went without a wide-brimmed hat. I always felt having the sun beating down on my face just made me more hot and uncomfortable. Even to this day, if I must be outside for a long period of time, I make sure to take one of my hats with me. The general public has likely never seen me wearing a hat due to way hats being worn by people you don’t expect to see wearing one, suddenly seem strangers unless they make themselves known.
We all have relatives who in their younger years were sun worshipers. We look at them now and think, “Why are they so wrinkled?” It only takes a moment to remember they were of the idea that tanned skin was more attractive and healthy looking. I’m sure many plastic surgeons have become millionaires by getting rid of many of the self-induced wrinkles. We’ve all heard about having drooping eyelids, sagging chins, and excessive bags under the eyes being nipped and tucked for a more cosmetic appeal.
Seems it’s too little and too late for public awareness in how continued exposure to the sun creates permanent affects to the skin. I can think now of both a man and a woman who are slightly older than I am who were dyed in the wool sun worshipers nearly all their lives. They don’t have just a few wrinkles, they have been showered with them.
I guess we all have to live with them, or become vain and have them worked on by a cosmetic surgeon. So I guess if everyone would just remember that if we choose to bake now, then be prepared to pay later. It would be far better to wear protective clothing from the sun and enjoy the summer season rather than feeling like a plum being sun dried into a prune. Keep the summer bakes in the kitchen and out of the sun.
