Sunbathing- Trauma or Triviality?

When I was about 8 or 9 years of age, whether it was a couple of days, a couple of weeks or, as it seemed to me, the whole summer I'm really not sure, I spent 'the whole summer' walking proudly around with my jeans on, turned up at the hem about 6 or 7 times so they came over my knee. My Mum didn't like it and wanted me to just go and put some shorts on, I thought it was tremendously cool so I refused. This was probably the beginning of my passion for individual fashion. Even now I will wear what I choose and boy did I look individual in college!
Anyway, I digress. So during this summer I found a passion for being brown and freckly. My friend at school had freckles beyond belief and I wanted just as many. It was also around this time that I started to notice how being brown indicated that you were probably rich enough to go to exotic climes and this was a very good thing with school friends in September- lying in the garden would have to make up for this.
So lying in the garden one lazy August afternoon. Mum and Dad were drinking tea and reading the paper and everyone was eating ice cream, it was hot and humid and the idea of shooting around the garden with the bikes in an obstacle course race was definitely off the cards. Instead of lying on my front and reading I was lying on my back with my eyes closed. (unknown for me to be doing nothing, but I decided it was a good idea) This was a bad idea. Not only did we feel lazy- so did the bees!
I screamed
and screamed
and screamed.
I was not a screamer, Mum and Dad knew something was up, I was shaking my leg furiously. I was in pain. The bee didn't stand a chance. I shook my leg so much the sting actually came off the bee and stayed in my leg- so even more screaming when I saw what had happened. My brother searched for the now dead culprit in the brittle, brown, rain-starved grass and Mum searched for tweezers!

I had the sting in a little pot as a souvenir for years. Isn't it crazy what an 8 or 9 years young child will do?
Now after almost 20 years I have started lying in the garden again, I've sat, or lounged in the interim years, always with my eyes open. I'm enjoying the rest, the healing time away from the bed and duvet! I'm even lying directly on the grass and walking around with bare feet occasionally! Ahhh! Maybe when the wasps and bees start wilting in the warmer (maybe I should say later, not warmer!) summer months I will be wearing sandals!
I am fully clothed, that is the big difference- and my trousers aren't rolled up! If I convert to a skirt instead of full length linen trousers I might start being more cautious too...