This one is going to get maybe a little weird. Stick with me.
This morning it was pleasantly warm and sunny in Nashville, and I was sitting on our deck in the back yard watching Piper chase squirrels. And I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice if I could take off my shirt and get some sun?
Now, to be perfectly honest, it's something I do from time to time. Up at our cabin in North Georgia, we typically have a work day in April. And we have an hour lunch break. Once or twice, I've been up by myself and once I'd eaten my sandwich, I'd drive the Rhino (our atv) to a field that was out in the middle of nowhere. I would take off my shirt and bra and get a little sun on my face and chest. It wasn't a sex thing, it was just, I wanted some warmth and color. I kept clothes on my lap, and I could have easily covered up in time if I heard someone coming.
But that was a completely private thing. At least, that was the intention.
Here in urban Nashville, my back deck is in plain view of plenty of windows, and the kid next door plays in their back yard with his pals, and they are forever climbing the tree on the fenceline. So, sitting on the deck in my bra (or less) is out.
All of this to say, Americans are uptight about the body. How do I know? Well, at the YMCA, I was almost always the only woman getting dressed somewhere other than a bathroom stall or in one of the curtained off changing areas. When I go to the spa at the Opryland Hotel for my annual splurge, I'm going to shed my towel in the steam room and sauna. I'm going to use it to sit on, obviously, because I'm not a monster, but I'll be damned if I cover up all the pores I'm trying to detox.
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| Valder-Ree Valder- Ri, Valder-Ra, with a knapsack on my back! |
I read once about this movement in Germany called FKK (Freikörperkultur) - they're people who believe that you should enjoy nature au naturel. They're nudists. I'm not saying I want to go that far, but. They engage in an activity called Naked Ramblings (Nacktwanderung in German, which sounds way cooler), which is groups going on naked hikes through the countryside. Which is really just one step away from sitting in a field with your shirt off at lunch.
Look, I'm not going to become a nudist. And I get it when people say, most people who get naked aren't the people you'd want to see naked. All I'm saying is, it was really warm for December 3rd. That's all.
ae
PS - Boobies.
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