A manifesto simply put is your personality in writing. Think about it as your Facebook profile in actual paragraphs with proper grammar and punctuations. It’s a declaration of who you are and what you are about. To better explain this, let’s take a look at some of the more interesting manifestos floating in the World Wide Web that won’t bring you into a snooze fest.
There’s the Cluetrain Manifesto which basically states in many pages that multi-million dollar companies shouldn’t dare pull a fast one on consumers, because one angry 140-character Tweet about your service or product can shut you down. But not all businesses are bad people, there are some like The Peanut Butter Manifesto by Yahoo! Who wants to make their company better to serve their customers better. And I saved the best for last, the motherload of all manifestos, Lady Gaga‘s Manifesto of Little Monsters as found in Gagapedia.
So in saying all that, I’ve been inspired to write a manifesto for fellow sun worshipers which I will dub as The Beach Bum Manifesto.
I will never be too cool for sunscreen. Because for one Will Ferrell isn’t and being burned to a crisp is just plain uncool. There are a lot of sunscreens you can choose from in the market but make sure to get SPF 15+ or higher as recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation to include in your essential beach accessories. And for new age girls who like their sunscreen straight from Mother Nature, you can read about a simple homemade sunscreen recipe here with most of the stuff you already have in your home, well, okay maybe except for titanium oxide powder.
I will have a passion for hydration. And I just don’t mean plunging into the ocean like you’re Aquaman or trying out every imaginable water sports out there. What I also mean is to keep at least one or two reusable water bottles filled with H20 in your beach bags when you hit the beach. A good rule of thumb is to drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day when you’re just being a vegetable in a swimsuit and more if you’re going to do sports activities. Remember that it’s better to be sun stoked than it is to have a sunstroke.
I will dress impeccable even with the little to nothing I have on. This is not an overreaction. You may just be going to the beach to pig out on beach grub but no law says you can’t pig out on beach grub in style right? Start with a good, nay, great swimsuit as a blank canvas for your beach accessories. Choose one that complements your body’s shape. Also take into consideration what you’re actually going to do at the beach when picking out a swimsuit. Because you don’t want to be wearing no bandeau top when you’re going to go surfing honey. It’s just a Janet Jackson Superbowl incident waiting to happen.
Next are beach accessories to complete your look. There are of course jewelry, which doesn’t necessarily have to be made of Puca shells or coconut husks. For example instead of going bare feet, put on a pair of barefoot sandals made from Swarovski crystals or other beach accessories which you can read about in a previous post. And since we’re on the topic of beach accessories, let me just add that hats are one of the best beach accessories anyone could have even though hats are the most underrated of beach accessories.
Lastly, the fun doesn’t stop at the beach and so does your fabulous self. Include beach cover ups in your beach accessories to make sure that when it’s time to take the party on land you’re still runway-ready. Most popular are tie-dyed wraps but there are a lot of options now which you can check out here.
I will be a vigilant beach bum. You’re a sun worshiper and the beach is your place of worship. So don’t just sit on your bum, pun intended, and do nothing. Simple things like reusing water bottles instead of writing love letters and throwing it into the ocean because you saw it in a movie and think it’s romantic. Let me tell you there is nothing romantic about dolphins or sea turtles choking on plastic bottles. Or cleaning up after your pet (read up on Beach Accessories for Your Dogs here) can do a lot to keep the beach a sacred place for you and other beach bums.
I will always be a happy beach bum. So put your favorite beach music on, sling on your fashionable beach bags, put on your beach accessories and let the beach bummage begin.