ON THE BEACH

We have beautiful weather here today. A little breezy, comfortably hot, just all around beautiful. The kind of day that makes it possible to deal with the stupid winter weather (I'm looking at you, Blizzard That Made It Unable For Me To Attend Friend Christmas), just to get to today.

A lot of students are taking advantage of the weather to head to the beach. And I've turned down a few invitations to go, partly because there needs to be a line between my work and my home life, but also partly because I'm not much of a beach person.

While I am an optimist in other areas of my life, I am a beach pessimist. What do you do at the beach? Nothing. You lay in the sun and do nothing. If I want to lay around and do nothing, I will be in my comfortable bed in relative (okay, absolute) privacy. The sand is hot and ends up in every nook and cranny in your car, clothing, and body. Seriously, like three days later you go to eat a sandwich and find one grain of sand that has miraculously survived showers, brushing, and even general beverage consumption. That's no good.

In addition, I've always been more than a little self-conscious about my pastiness. This has mostly passed, and I am comfortable with who I am and how near-translucent my skin is. But in the past - forget about it. The shirt stayed on. I realize the paradox of wanting to tan but having to take off the shirt in order to get some sun; and I choose the "I'll stay in the air conditioned house" side of that paradox.

If I were in Southern California or Hawaii, would I be more of a beach person? Maybe - chiefly because I could surf, and that's something I really would like to pursue. Because that's something to actually DO, not just lay around. In the meantime...no beach for me. I'll be in my apartment with the lights off and the a/c on, doing nothing in comfort.