Today I let my legs see the sun. It might be the only day this year that I do this. The conditions felt right – the day was filled with sunshine and was warm but not too hot. plus, I was only popping out for half an hour.
I can’t wear sunscreen, and the wind, pollen, things flying around the air, surfaces and nature can hurt my skin. Plus I get cold. And so I cover up. Sometimes my face is a bug catcher, with bugs sticking to my Vaseline. It can be tricky going outdoors! When I was at school, I used to get infections on my legs so often because I’d have to wear a school dress with bare legs. Now I can wear whatever I want, the infections have decreased. (I’m sure if I was a school student now, I could tailor my uniform, or maybe I could back then too, but I didn’t want to stand out any more than I already did.) People take their skin and its normal resilience for granted.
The sun on my bare legs felt delicious. I sat in the sun for five minutes to get some Vitamin D (the dermatologist recommended 15 minutes a day in the sun). I also felt like the sunshine heals me of potential infections.
It was a funny sensation when the breeze brushed past me. I was careful not to let my shopping bags bang and scratch my legs today – I have sustained many scratches from those horrible rigid boxy shopping bags brushing against me.
When I was in the supermarket, a woman stopped, looked me up and down and told me I’m very sunburnt. “God you’ve got yourself very sunburnt” she said, disapprovingly.
It had been so long since I’ve been asked/told (I haven’t been asked since before the Christmas break, or I haven’t noticed!) that I almost forgot how to answer.
“Yes… I mean, I was born like this”, I said.
“Oh”, she said. No apology.
And then I added, “What if I commented on your appearance?”, realising that 2013 may be the year I take no shit from nosy people (but I do predict 364 days of appearance related comments!).
“Yeah yeah”, she said, her voice trailing off down the laundry aisle.
I smiled. I almost told someone I’m sunburnt. I’ve got to do that for real.
In unrelated news, but still on the topic of skin, I cleaned my washing machine with citric acid powder today, and some got on my hand. Now parts of my body feel like it’s been dotted with Wizz Fizz. Tingly. Fruity.
Happy New Year everyone! See the funny side of life 🙂
It still stuns me that people stop and say anything to you, like it's their business, and they have any idea about other people.
I hope your comment back reminds her to think before she speaks in future.
I can't imagine stopping someone I didn't know and making such a rude comment to them. I hope you get to enjoy a few more days of sunshine on your legs!
Ha Ha, Wizz-Fizz. Did you feel like you could snap, crackle and pop?
Some people don't realise they're being rude. It's possible she meant it sympathetically, since most people don't know about Ichthyosis.