Stop Admiring My Coppertone Tan!

I did dawn patrol at the local indoor pool this morning. Since the pool is in the neighborhood, the majority of those using the pool are black. So I get my swim on and head into the locker room to take a shower. A sister asked me a strange question, which was something like, "Did you lie out to get that tan?" Lie out? Me? Lie out in the sun to get a tan? I was born with a tan, a very nice tan, thank you very much. I told her, no, the tan just happened as a result of both swimming at outdoor pools and surfing. But why would one brown-skinned black person ask another brown-skinned black person such a question? With all of the melanin we've got, going between the front door and the car makes you a shade darker.

And, yes, I've got the full-on, pale butt Coppertone tan.