Romance writers make their characters appear feminine and attractive when they blush but I feel less than pretty when it happens to me. A creeping heat spreads over my face and neck and nearby friends ask me, "Are you okay?" This weird phenomena began manifesting after I turned 30 and I didn't know anyone else that experiences it in my family. After ruling out any serious medical issues, I began to wonder, what really makes me blush?
I blush when I'm too hot. I live in Mobile, Alabama the hot capital of the south. I use my air conditioning excessively during the heat of the summer and go places that I know have cool air. I keep my vehicle's AC charged and ready for use. I try not to get too hot or I'll blush like crazy. Sunbathing is out of the question.
I drink a glass of wine. One delicious glass of wine turns me beet red. I've just about given up trying to snort a heart-healthy dose until menopause is completely upon me. Sigh. I miss you red wine.
Vitamin B makes me blush. Unbelievably, some vitamin tablets that contain large doses of vitamin B make me turn red. I can't say I totally understand the science but days when I skip the B (and the wine) I don't blush. That's a bummer.
Embarrassing situations turn me red. When I was younger, I could listen to the occasional dirty joke and leave with my poker face intact. Not today! Anything that embarrasses me affects my face. Bad news, bad jokes and irritating coworkers get under my skin--and it shows. I do my best to avoid all three.
Uncontrollable dips in my hormones make me blush. (Thanks peri-menopause!) I can enjoying a deep dreamy sleep (hello Alexandar Skarsgard!) and wake up sweating. (Couldn't be the blonde viking in my dreams?) In my quest for cool, sleep-filled nights, I have swapped the sheets, upgraded my pillow and even added a fan to my room. Those night sweats are a terror!
Basically life makes me blush and there's not a lot I can do about it. When I feel a blush come on, and I am at home, I grab for a bag of frozen veggies. Placing the bag on my neck for a few minutes cools me down. If I'm not at home, I seek a cool spot away from the crowd or run to a bathroom for a damp paper towel.
Life is a blusher isn't fun but what can you do?
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