i really need spring break, and as spring has been in the air lately with this lovely weather we've been having, i've taken notice to a few new things. today's topic is going to be tanning. tanning beds have become ever popular lately, especially around college campuses. there is a point, however, when tanning becomes more than just tanning, but another way that people start to vent their low self-esteem. you can see em around campus with just a quick left to right pan across the quad. THERE are the two groups related to this topic; those who buy thier tan, and those who do not. there are distinct differences between the two, though often times the controlled tanners get away with just being lightly shaded and still manage to fit in with the "do nots". what i see when i look around is the occasional... let's say... about 10% of the student body that has taking tanning to what i think is an unhealthy level. and the thing is is that you could probably get away quicker with convincing me that you made your store bought apple pie from scratch at home before you could convince me that a tanning bed tan is natural. it's just that the tanning bed tans look so bronzy and orange and exactly even all over the body. i don't know if you've noticed or not, but there are certain parts of the body that should naturally stay a little lighter shade than other parts. for example, the sun naturally tans the upper part of the arm while the underbelly, though shaded slightly, usually stays a proportionately lighter color. also, if when you have a dark tan, there is no color distinction between your face and say... your armpit... you probably are going to be spotted as a fake. also, if you get too tan, you tend to look like a well beaten saddle bag coated in a dark orange. see, i was pondering over all this at breakfast this morning. i noticed my self looking at some ladies and wondering what they would look like without their tans, and i started to like this idea. i know that they probably just want a nice tan before spring break so that they look good in a bathing suit, but as with most things, i think there is a line that can be crossed. i am, of course, not the one to judge. back when i lifeguarded at the city pool all summer, i didn't wear sun screen and i pretty much went trans-race. i was DARK! but it was a natural dark. you could tell by looking at me and the way that my tan was shaded that it was a sun tan and not a booth tan. my dermatologist sure did notice. a few years ago during the summer i went to see one and he said that i looked all good after the check-up, but that he would see me in thirty years for skin cancer. my basic summary or moral from all this speech is this: strive to be comfortable with your natural beauty. anyone can put on tons of makeup or bake in a tanner for hours on end and look good, but when you overkill like that you advertise your lack of self-esteem, and in so doing, you loose the respect of others, more so at a subconcious level, but never-the-less it's not there like it should be. ladies, what good is it to have the eye of every guy when none of those guys respect you as a person and just want you for one thing? i'd say that the best bet for both teams is to be confident with yourself first and foremost and be patient and humble. the divorce rate in america is so high today mainly because people aren't confident so they go out and flaunt themselves all over the place tryin to make the opposite sex notice them. they then lead to exploiting willing person after willing person to continually feed their confidence lacking provoked addiction of being "liked" "sexy" "desireable" "femanin" or in guys cases "manly". it is after this that they meet who they think is their "special someone" and they get married. time passes and they realize that they can't give up their addiction, so they return to their "nomadic" lifestyles leaving in their wake nothing but heart ache, and broken homes. this is what is acceptable today in america. it won't be long now that the majority of people figure out, "what's the point of getting married if it's not going to last. all i gain from it is one more tax fee." i mean, look at where our culture is going. it's sick to think that this actually makes sense, but it does in the eyes of society, it's just not noticed yet. why is it all like this? because once again we cannot possibly live up to the american dream. it is unattainable and this is why our economy works so well. think about it. "well nathan, i've heard this ALLLL before so why don't you just go to bed and stop wasting my time!" okay fine then! i will! but don't expect to get an invitation to my birthday party! peace and love...