Sunburn

My skin before being bombarded by the sun's rays: That's me when I was a child. I was unmarred, innocent. Sort of a self-reflection.

A lot of things go through a person's mind when they look at a sunburn. I'm an idiot or This hurts like hell are a couple of the common thoughts one would have. I've always been a little different from the norm. When I see a sunburn I was unfortunate enough to receive, I see myself. No, I don't literally see an image of myself in the bright red irritation. Instead, I'm reminded of everything I've been through in life. Allow me to explain.

 

The sun's rays, while warm, just about fry your skin without the proper protection. Those rays are the hardships I was put through that I wasn't protected from. Why didn't I have protection? Well, it's complicated… Okay, the lack of sunscreen was my own stupidity, but not the lack of protection from my hardships. My skin before being bombarded by the sun's rays: That's me when I was a child. I was unmarred, innocent. My skin the day I get the sunburn, when it's red and tender, that was me right after my hardships hit. I was easily hurt and afraid.

 

Now, look at that same sunburn a couple days later. You'll notice the skin there is tougher than the first day, almost leathery. That's what I became after the red, painful stage. The tough layer was me when I worked to protect myself. I made myself to be tougher, more able to ward off the pain. It's just like the rough skin two or three days after I get a sunburn.

 

About a week after I first got the sunburn, it began peeling. Gross, right? Well, I don't see it that way. Again, I have a different mindset. Instead, I see the new skin being revealed little by little from beneath the rough, leathery layer. That's the new me, the one that's still developing beneath my protective outer shell. Just as the new skin is revealed little by little, so is the new me. It takes a special group of people to help me reveal this new self. Those people are the ones who inspire me to break out of that closed comfort-zone I'd trapped myself in. They come from all around me; friends, family, teachers. A select few of them are able to help my new self emerge, just like the new skin after the sunburn is gone.

 

Like I said, I'm a bit different from the norm. I see things that some people overlook. If you really think about it, though, I'm sure this applies to you just as much as it applies to me. Bet you never thought you'd find a human analysis in something as superficial as a sunburn, huh?

Author's Note

Sort of my musings one summer night when I couldn't fall asleep. Please review. :)