July 10th, 2026
I frequently think about gingers and the mystery of tanning.
I'm a ginger, and I can tan. I sometimes feel like an anomaly because of it. My mom can't tan, but my dad can, which is where I suspect my ability to tan came from, given my sister can tan as well.
Sometimes I will be watching YouTube videos where people make "gingers can't tan" jokes, which I understand are valid jokes because the majority of gingers cannot tan. However, it does make me feel a little odd hearing them.
I've had coworkers be surprised when I drop that fun piece of trivia. I think being a blue-eyed ginger that can tan is probably rarer than just being a blue-eyed ginger, which is already rare enough on it's own. I find genetics to be really interesting. It was the part of my middle school biology class I liked the most.
Instead of being sad about it, I'm very grateful for my freakish ability. It makes the summer season more bearable for me (though if I'm going to be outside for a long time, I WILL be wearing sunscreen. I'm not risking a sunburn).
All the best, Nikki
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