wear sunscreen.

I would hope that at least some of you are familiar with the well-known speech, “Wear Sunscreen.” Originally, Mary Schimch wrote it as a newspaper column, but the more popular version is that set to music by Baz Luhrmann. It’s been used as a graduation speech frequently, and it’s also often used in creative writing classes. I’ve always liked this speech-each time I listen to it, a new verse seems to strike a chord, and I always emerge from the seven minute speech wanting to go out and seize the day anew. If you are unfamiliar with the speech, I highly recommend that you look it up-ignore the kitschy back-up singers and focus on Baz’s voice-I know it sounds cheesy, but truly listen to what he’s saying and I think you, too, will be shocked at how many of these advisory sentiments are prevalent to your life, no matter what your age. The reason I’m writing about this is because I’ve listened to the speech a few times while I’ve been abroad, and I’m consistently struck by how humorous and newly meaningful some of these lines are. I apologize that I seem to be doing a lot of lyrical analysis in recent posts-hopefully I can promise you that, with this post, I will be done sifting through my iTunes for blog ideas.

Baz’s first piece of advice is also the title of the piece: Wear Sunscreen. He initiates his memorandum by arguing “the long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists.” He also concedes that “the rest of [his] advice has no basis more reliable than [his] own meandering experience.” Most of you know that the sun in Australia is intense. Not just intense heat-wise, but intense because there is a noticeable hole in the ozone layer surrounding this fine island, country, and continent. This hole means that the UV radiation is much, much stronger here-cancer advisories abound and sunscreen is a must, no matter what your skin tone or what the weather. For those of us already concerned by the aging process (see blog re: wrinkle cream), this piece of advice is a necessary part of being a temporary Australian. Even if you’re not in an area suffering from ozone depletion in the southern hemisphere, I think Baz is right in issuing this warning.

Baz (or Mary, whomever we’re giving credit to) is especially adamant in saying “you are not as fat as you imagine.” Really, Baz? Are you sure about that? Because I seem to be eating more than my fair share of peanut butter toast and Cadbury eggs (Thanks, Mama!)...I seem to drink more wine than I ought, and I always find a whole string of reasons to legitimize going out to eat on Lygon Street bi-weekly. “Market Friday,” when Maddie and I dive into garlic stuffed green olives and Turkish bread with capsicum dip at the Queen Victoria Market is becoming a dangerous habit, too. Through all of these munching manias, I will try to chant Baz’s soothing mantra in my head...I am not as fat as I imagine...I am not as fat as I imagine...I need to go on a few more 6 mile runs before coming home...

“Floss.” Please still be my friend after I share this with you. Baz simply states at 1:38 in the speech to floss. This is a legitimate piece of advice, and I’m sure the American Dental Association is much obliged to this public mandate via song. This would be much easier advice to follow if my underprepared self had packed floss back in Eau Claire, and if floss didn’t cost nine dollars in Australia. With a price like that, Australia is basically asking me NOT to floss. There was no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I was going to be shelling out a $10 bill for a simple wheel of floss. Sorry floss, but frugality wins on this one. Thankfully, I have hygienic friends who admonished my dental practices and lent me an occasional string of floss before Mother Mary saved the day yet again by bringing good old cheap American floss to me in April.

I could go through each line, I’m sure, and relate it somehow, someway, to this crazy Australian life. “Get more calcium”-yep, because all I eat is carbs. “Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle”-yep, because I’m 15 hours ahead of everyone that I love, which makes talking and staying in touch more difficult, albeit more meaningful. “Do one thing every day that scares you”-yep, because, really, isn’t that the point of studying abroad, conquering fear in the little things as well as the big things? Maybe this was a fruitless blog entry-it was in my head, though, so here it is for your eyes. Feast away, and remember to wear sunscreen.