Finding Wisdom in the Smallest Room: From Sunscreen to Life Lessons
Adrian Barich reflects on how the smallest room in the house can become a sanctuary for timeless wisdom, inspired by a social media prompt to create a sunscreen song. This idea led him back to the famous sunscreen essay by American journalist Mary Schmich, originally penned in 1997 as a fictional graduation speech and later popularised by Baz Luhrmann.
The Legacy of Bathroom Wisdom
For Barich, Schmich's essay serves as a modern counterpart to two formative poems from his youth: Rudyard Kipling's If and Max Ehrmann's Desiderata. These works were prominently displayed on the back of the toilet door in his family home, a time before mobile phones offered an easy escape. Sitting there, one would inevitably absorb lessons about moving placidly amid chaos, being gentle with oneself, and remembering one's place in the universe.
Kipling's poem sets an exceptionally high standard, urging readers to maintain composure when others panic, trust themselves amid doubt, and treat success and failure equally. While living up to such ideals is nearly impossible, they provide a valuable target to aim for, even if straying from the path is common.
The Gentle Guidance of Sunscreen
In contrast, the sunscreen essay offers similar wisdom with a softer tone. It reminds us that life is a long race, where we sometimes lead and sometimes lag, but ultimately compete only with ourselves. The essay advocates for basic, often overlooked practices like singing, stretching, and flossing—advice Barich once mocked but now fully embraces.
Practical tips, such as getting enough calcium and being kind to your knees, resonate deeply, especially as age brings physical reminders of our mortality. Barich notes that in Perth, sunscreen transcends metaphor; it's a vital necessity in one of the world's sunniest cities, where skin cancer rates are alarmingly high.
Perth's Sun and Cricket Fans
Perth's intense heatwaves make the sun's presence feel almost predatory, underscoring the urgency of sun protection. This reality brings to mind the Barmy Army, English cricket fans who travel for The Ashes and often neglect sunscreen, resulting in severe sunburn. Barich humorously suggests that if Schmich ever updates her essay for an Australian audience, it should include a dedicated chapter for visiting cricket enthusiasts.
Core Life Lessons
Beyond sun safety, the essay's heart lies in its guidance on living well. It encourages enjoying and using your body—a message that gains poignancy with age. Other key advice includes:
- Dancing, even if just in your living room.
- Getting to know your parents before it's too late.
- Being kind to siblings, who connect you to the past and often remain lifelong companions.
- Valuing true friends and nurturing those relationships despite life's changes.
Barich appreciates that the essay permits imperfection, promoting kindness, patience, and perspective rather than demanding greatness. He now aims to pass this wisdom to his children, just as If and Desiderata were passed to him, displayed on the toilet wall as quiet, recurring guidance.
Passing on the Message
While Barich won't be recording a sunscreen song like Baz Luhrmann, he commits to sharing the essay's message. He concludes with a light-hearted reminder: in Western Australia, the only acceptable red and black should be on a Perth Football Club jumper, not from sunburn. This blend of humour and heartfelt advice encapsulates the enduring power of bathroom wisdom, proving that even the smallest room can hold profound life lessons.
