A lament about being a ghostie
I have a small question: What is so wrong with being pale? I don't get it. People constantly ask me if I ever tan, if I ever go outside, if I ever this, if I ever that, and it always seems so ridiculous. Why are people always bugging me about it?
For those who neither know me personally nor have seen a photo of me, I am very, very white. As in transparent. Sort of grayish on occasion. A lot of my friends tease me about it (which I don't mind), but I really don't like it when people ask me if I'm anemic or sick or have cancer or something because that shade of white must be unhealthy. Seriously, why is our generation so obsessed with being tan? I'm not criticizing people who are naturally tan or go tanning or whatever, but people act like it's disgusting that I can't tan. I burn on occasion, yeah, but I can't tan. It's impossible. I know I'm bone white; I just don't get why they have to marvel at it. If I meet someone for the first time, I guarantee they'll spend at least three minutes jabbering about it (or poking me to see if white paint comes off my skin). It is not that odd to see someone who's white like a ghost, people. Pull yourselves together.
Even in marching band camp. I get comments like "Emily, you are fucking pale" from people I don't even talk to. People actually get kind of rude. This color guard girl L asked me once why my legs were so white. I told her I've never been tan in my life, and she says: "Ew, that's gross! You need to use a self tanner or something!" Sheesh.
The thing is, I like being pale. It makes me different. I don't have freckles, and I don't burn often (my skin tone gets uneven on occasion - the joys of having combination skin!), so I really am white, and I like how I look. I can't wear most makeup - blush and eyeshadows wash me out unless I use really dark stuff (trying to look dead) or neon stuff (which I love doing). Like I said before, my friends joke about it a lot, and I don't mind. Some of them tease me about being "transparent" or call me Snow White and likewise, but that's OK. It's when I have random strangers come up to me and ask me if I have a terminal wasting disease or am a vampire that I have a problem.
Does anyone else have a similar issue?