Being Irish is great. I have a big, loud, very fun family. You can always count on us to turn any event into a party. The Irish are fun, kind and very accepting. But even the best of us have our flaws, and unfortunately, having skin that is not necessarily agreeable with the sun is one of them. Here is a list of all the struggles that any Irish (or pale people in general) will relate to:
10.) Buying a LOT of sunblock. Let me tell you, sunblock can get very expensive. Especially when you have to be careful to pick the correct brand, the correct SPF, make sure it contains zinc, etc.
9.) Wearing white shorts and someone commenting, "haha your shorts match your legs" GOOD ONE.
8.) Always being a little too smooth on your skin because of sunscreen. And no, it doesn't dry, because as soon as you stop feeling slimy, its time for re-application.
7.) When you inevitably get that sunburn and you have to deal with it. Your skin is radiating heat, but you are so, so cold. Your skin feels a little something like this:
6.) And oh boy... those times when the burn gets so out of control that you get sun poisoning or worse...blisters.
5.) Being a kid and your mom making you wear a literal tee-shirt in the ocean while everyone else didn't have to... does this even prevent my skin from burning? Is cotton UV resistant? Mom said so...
4.) Attempting to tan every single summer relentlessly and NEVER having success except for when you notice a few more freckles. The Irish are pretty stubborn.. or so they tell me. I just think I'm right.
(FYI If I had a buck for every time I have been tagged in this photo, I'd be rich).
3.) Getting told constantly by family "oh you look like you're getting burnt." Yes thank you I'm aware but would you rather me go into hibernation all summer?!
2.) Being the only teenager who brings an umbrella to the beach. You will be called a "mom" for it. I'd rather be called mom than lobster though!!
1.) When all else fails, you might just want to head on inside, maybe throw on some aloe while you're at it. Its probably for the best. But hey? Who said inside has to be somewhere boring...
Despite our minor flaw in lack of pigmentation, lets be honest: we wouldn't trade being Irish for anything. And realistically, it is pretty to be so pale, because what other group of people can be so beautifully spotted? So rock on, Irish people, keep on glowing in the sun and applying that sunblock, because whenever a tan human decides they should use some too, you can bet your favorite freckle-faced, red-headed beauty is prepared.
