Today, I am thankful for moderation.
I recently shared my adoration for Shakespeare’s comedies in a blog referencing his comedy, All’s Well That Ends Well. In that post, I made particular reference to the absurd circumstances that culminated in that requited love of Helena to the King’s son, Bertram. In another one of his comedies, As You Like It, the great English playwright shared another one of my favorite sayings, in a line about the importance of moderation. That play tells the tale of two cousins, Rosalind and Celia, who are banished from the royal court and flee into forest of Arden. On their travels, they come across a cast of characters, including Orlando, another exiled lad, who is in love with Rosalind. Rosalind questions Orlando, whether someone can have “too much of a good thing” in reference to love. In the end, Orlando and Rosalind marry, together with three other couples that meet in the forest. Love is once again requited, and, well, all ends well.
I think a lot about the concept of having too much of a good thing. As a Greek, I strive for moderation in my life, avoiding the extremes of something too good or something too bad. Perhaps this is because my ancestors have been fretting over the issue for centuries. The ancient Greeks, like Hippocrates, Socrates, and Plato, all defined health as life lived in moderation. Even the Temple of Apollo at Delphi included an inscription proclaiming “Nothing in Excess.” So, I consume my favorite foods, including the occasional Big Mac, in moderation. I exercise, often running in moderation (mainly because I have a bum knee from an old skiing accident). I listen and read the news in moderation, well because too much of it will drive one to the brink of insanity.
And, of course, I enjoy the sun in moderation.
In a week, the Kartsonis family leaves for vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. I do plan to visit the beach, but I will limit my subjection to the sun’s powerful rays. We all know that exposure in the sun is one of those situations where one can indeed have too much of a good thing. The sun helps heat the planet and the oceans and also plays a crucial role in oxygen production through the process of photosynthesis. However, we also do know that too much time spent in the sun can lead to sunburns and an increased risk for skin cancer.
All this talk of sun exposure reminds me of a fascinating tale regarding the production of suntan lotion. In the 1940s, a Miami pharmacist, named Benjamin Green joined the Air Force airman during World War II. At that time, he noticed that his fellow airmen were suffering from horrible sunburns, after training in the sun for long hours each day. Using his knowledge of chemistry, his pharmacy background, and some practical ingenuity, he developed a lotion to protect against the ultraviolet rays of the sun. That came in the form of red veterinary petroleum, or ‘red vet pet’. This compound provided an effective physical barrier against the penetrating ultraviolet rays of the sun for himself and his fellow soldiers, thereby helping to prevent the ill effects of sunburn. However, he realized that the concoction he used during the war was ‘heavy and unpleasant’.
After the war, Green decided to improve on this invention. He concocted a more soothing mixture of red vet pet, cocoa butter, and coconut oil, a concoction he created using a granite coffee pot on his kitchen stove, much to the chagrin of his tolerant wife. He then tested each batch on his own bald head until he had the formula worked out. The final batch that he chose to market was something he called Coppertone Suntan Cream, which was the first consumer sun care product in the United States. In 1953, the Coppertone name went viral, when a particular advertisement of the suntan lotion became an iconic image. You all known what I’m referring to – that overly suntanned girl, with her blond hair in pigtails, surprisingly realizing that her bathing suit was being tugged on by a little black cocker spaniel. Eventually, chemicals would be added to the Coppertone lotions to absorb the sun’s ultraviolet rays, leading to the birth of ‘sunscreens’ with differingSun Protection Factor (SPF) rating. Today, the sunscreen business peaks out at nearly one billion dollars in the United States alone.
You can be rest assured I’ll be wearing sunscreen of a high SPF when I visit the beach next weekend. Clearly, I plan to enjoy all the island shore has to offer. However, I do not want to be ‘too much in the sun.’
Wait, isn’t that another line from a Shakespeare play? Alas, we might just have to wait another day to learn about my tragic friend, Hamlet. Even Shakespeare can be too much of a good thing in one sitting.
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