WEAR SUNSCREEN

Here's what is possibly one of the most famous speeches of all time; famous enough to rival those by Martin Luther. The 'speech' was originally written by Mary Schmich in her column for the Chicago Tribune, which she addressed to graduates of the year '97. Within a short time, the column had been picked up and was widely forwarded by email to every corner of the world. The email stated that this was a speech made by novelist Kurt Vonnegut, while addressing the '97 graduating class of MIT. When contacted, Vonnegut stated that he had never been the guest speaker at MIT's graduation ceremony. When Vonnegut's wife received the forward in her mailbox and demanded to know why her husband never mentioned that he made such a brilliant speech, he answered: "Because I didn't".
In the year of 1997, the graduating speaker at MIT had been a Mr. Kofi Annan, the general secretary of the UN, and while he certainly did dispense invaluable advice, 'wear sunscreen'was not part of it.

The original author, Mary Schmich, was certainly not prepared for the huge response her editorial invoked. And while she was initially dumbfounded when she saw her article, attributed to someone else, in her inbox, she bears no grouches against the internet. After all, the email is what raised these few lines to epic status. The lyrics were subsequently converted into a hit song by Baz Luhrmann, where Mary Schmich finally received the credit she so richly deserved.

So if you had ever received this via email and didn't pay much attention to it, now's your chance. Take a print-out, and try and lead your life according to these no-so-profound but wonderfully realistic words of wisdom.
Advice, like youth, wasted on the young
By Mary Schmich

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body.

Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it is the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance.

Dance, Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

FOOT CARE

Look after your feet and treat them with the care and attention they deserve. Your feet, and your back, will thank you for it.

Foot hygiene

While bathing, we often tend to ignore our feet and only apply soap from the ankles up. Your feet need a wash just as much as the rest of your body does, if not more, so make sure you wash and soap your feet as well. Take care to rinse off all soap, and dry feet thoroughly, wiping between the toes.

Keep a pumice stone in the bathroom and every two to three days, soap your feet and scrub them with the stone, paying extra attention to the heels.

Change your socks daily. It's surprising how many people wear the same socks for a couple of days before throwing them in for a wash! If you don't change your socks regularly, your feet will start to smell, and you may even develop a fungal infection.

Use foot powder.
Toenail care

When trimming toenails, don't trim them in an inverted U shape. Trim them straight across without digging into the corners. This keeps toenails healthier.

Shoes

Don't wear shoes that are too tight. They bruise your toes and heels, and they also hamper your walk. In addition, footwear that is too tight around the toes will cramp your toes, and may even cause your toenail to come out. It is also possible to strain your back.


Check your child's shoes regularly to make sure they are not too small. Children's feet are soft and flexible, and they can easily fit into shoes that are even two sizes too small! But you don't want them doing that, so make sure they wear shoes that are the right size. The easiest way to ensure this is to make your child stand on a sheet of paper as you draw the outline of her foot. Then, measure this outline with the sole of the shoe. If the outline is bigger or exactly the same size, you should get a bigger size. The sole of the shoe should be a little bigger all over than the outline.



Go shoe shopping in the afternoon. Your feet swell to their maximum at this time so you can be sure that anything you buy will not suddenly start feeling tight in the afternoon.

One foot is always bigger than the other, so try on both shoes before buying a pair.


If you are buying keds, wear socks as well while trying on the keds.


The best footwear to wear is genuine leather. It takes the shape of your feet and moulds itself accordingly.


If you will be on your toes all day, stay away from high heels. Heels are great for short periods, but not for long stretches at a time. They completely change your posture and put strain on your back and your toes.


Beauty Tip

A great tip for soft, smooth feet is to apply cream any cream generously to your feet before turning in for the night. Cover them with a pair of socks. Do this everyday, and within a week you will see the difference.

Ask Ayushmann anything

My girlfriend wants us to change our facebook statuses to "in a relationship." I'm not into the public stuff. Is this a done deal?
Amish Sakhuja, Via email

This battle isn't about status. It's about boundaries: you're private and she's public. Tell her that. Tell her what you want to share with the world and what you'd rather save for friends and family. And have her do the same. If there's enough common ground there, or if you two can reach a compromise, you guys have a chance. If not, better to know now.

Everytime I wear skinny jeans my girlfriend gave me, my buddies make fun of me. How do I handle these guys?
Ashok Singh, Mumbai

Internationally, it is already a trend. But the question here is do you like wearing the jeans or not? If you do, return fi re and ride this out. I bet half of them are sniping because they wouldn't fi t into skinny jeans themselves. But if you're only wearing them for her sake and are extremely uncomfortable, then your friends are doing you a favour buddy. Wear them over to her place a few times, and then put them into semiretirement. They're just jeans, after all. Not a wedding band. So don't let it get to your head.

I have a hard time asserting myself. I don't want to yell, but I know I shouldn't be a doormat. Any ideas?
Anurag Dewal, via email

Half your battle is won already as at least you realise that you don't want to be a doormat. The problem with people who don't stand up for themselves is that they'd rather avoid confrontation than think about the future. Once you're labelled a patsy, you could eventually lose a job and plenty of respect. You don't have to be rude. The only way you'll change is by realising it's okay to be uncomfortable in the present to protect your future.

What do you do if you've taken a job and a better offer comes up a few weeks later? I am terribly confused. Help!
Sunil Kumar, Ludhiana

Think about work like you think about girls. Women don't want a man who breaks their trust, but they'll pursue a man they can't have. So if you're not sure you're in the right relationship, honour your current commitment, but keep in touch with the lady who's flirting with you. Once you've given the first woman a fair chance, there's nothing wrong to see if the second one wants to have a drink. This way you get best of both the worlds on your plate.

My colleagues start brainstorming e-mail chains after office hours. Do I really need to reply to their mails? It's annoying.
Saksham Sinha, Chennai

That's one of the biggest cons of technology. It screws your personal life. Predominantly, I'm a fi rm believer in last call. When the house lights go up, I've wrapped up my shows and about to hit the bed until I'm back on the clock again. My day's work is done-and so is yours. So don't let your colleagues cut into your personal time in any way. But, of course, in times of emergency it's selfi sh to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to all the emails. In fact the best opportunities come your way in times of crisis. But again the onus of drawing a line between frivolous and serious calls/emails lies on you.

The Bollywood outsider who competed for the spotlight of success with millions of sperm... err, strugglers and hit bulls' eye with Vicky Donor. He comes from Chandigarh, is the proud father of a one-year-old.