Wear Sunscreen

**WARNING: THIS POST IS LONGER THAN 500 WORDS.**

Ciao ciao ciao a tutti!

I hope you all are enjoying the wonderful weather! I think it is actually hotter here than it is at my home in California, and that's saying a LOT because I basically live on a beach.... and the weather is basically like this 99% of the time.

With all this weather and the thoughts of summer nearing, as I was basking in the sun with close friends, I started thinking about my past. Life has not been easy for me, and in many ways I am thankful for that because if things were handed to me on a silver platter I would be very bored (and probably getting into trouble like Miss Hilton just to make my life...I don't know, fun?).

I started thinking about the 90s and how great music was born into that decade and the music from the 80s, 70s, 60s, 50s, etc still played on my radio. On beautiful days like this in the summer of '99, I rocked gently back and forth in my hammock, which was incredibly old and brought from Mexico when my dad crossed the border, that was hung up on one end by part of my house and on the other by my huge Mexican Lime tree. Rocking, rocking, rocking as I fell the warm sun and the cool breeze kiss my face, I listened to music, music on my radio.

I have yet to find a radio station that plays music as great as this one. It played a wide variety of music from oldies to the now. I LOVED IT. One "song" that I particularly enjoyed was Baz Luhrmann's "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" because every single time I heard it, I would cry (and still do). Call me emotional, but every song has a meaning and when it sparks some emotion, I am not afraid to hide it. Music is a gateway to the soul. This song always reminds me of some of the things that are truly important in my life, things that I admit I tend to ignore and forget about from time to time. This offers beautiful tips and leads me to intense realities. "Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good."

Oh my god, we as young adults, teenagers, kids, babies sometimes to not understand this harsh truth that our parents and friends are only with us for a limited time. And we our not taking enough advantage of the time we have on this Earth, with these people we LOVE. We spend too much time being angry and taking it out on people, our loved ones, who sometimes don't even deserve it. I rarely yell at my parents anymore because I can't bare to think of the possibility that the last time I talk to them would be in anger. I do not say "I love you" enough to my parents. Many of us have this flaw. Now I ask of you, my readers, my friends, my loved ones, go take this advise that is offered in this song. And if you only do one of those things, let it be that you call your parents, guardians, family, and friends....and tell them you love them.

Pace ed amore,
Chipmunk

P.S.- I love you.