Tuesday, May 17, 2011

I took my shirt off

Sometimes I wake up and don’t feel like wearing a shirt. Bra, yes. Shirt, no.

Very rarely do I act on this desire except to run from the bathroom to the dryer mostly because I don’t live alone. Plus, even flaunting my cleavage is difficult because when I wear a simple tank top, my friend’s six-year-old son shyly points out he’s seeing more of my boob then he’s obviously comfortable with and suggests that I should cover it. Awkward.

So I try and remain fully clothed at all times.

But.

Yes, there’s always a but.

Over the weekend, the ‘I-don’t-want-to-wear-a-shirt’ feeling was so strong that I felt it only fair to myself and The Girls to oblige them with a few minutes of shirtless freedom.

So I did. And, really, it was as glorious as one would imagine.

Or maybe you haven’t imagined how glorious it feels, and if you haven’t, please do. Then project yourself into my situation Saturday (and, guiltily, Sunday) afternoon.

See?

Glorious.

A few factors played into my ultimate decision to take my shirt off.

1) we live in the country
2) no one from the highway (except drivers in one direction) could see me
3) the only people home were my sister and friend’s young children

I was nervous, as any shirtless-on-a-back-deck virgin would be.

Should I?
What if people see me?
If the two young children peak out the window, will they be scarred for life?
What if our landlord drives up?

It took me approximately three minutes to dissolve any worry in all four cases.

With that, I unbuttoned my cute button-up blue shirt, draped it back over my shoulders to test the waters, and then took it off.

It was as glorious as I had imagined.

The next day I was home alone, so I exercised my new-found pleasure and even walked from the back deck into the house to get a pen, and then back onto the deck. This was a milestone, because walking around shirtless in a house where you never really know who’s going to pop around the corner is different from sitting stationary on the back deck.

As clearly evidenced by my actions, I live on the wild side. And you should too. Maybe it’s not an express desire to take your shirt off, maybe it’s something else.

But I think you should do it.

3 comments:

Emily said...

Hmm...I wonder what's next. Will you become a streaker? ;-)

Totally agree with you, though. We have to listen to our essential self and honor that, letting go of the concerns of "what will others think?"

Bravo, Holly.

Kimberly said...

Kind of like swimming topless in the ocean with a bottle of beer... :)

I, also, have been know to shed the layers in inviting outdoor settings :) Or sunbathe topless. That's really the ultimate pleasure!

The Logarithmic Spiral said...

I am a self-proclaimed exhibitionist and would quite frequently parade a la nude around my apartment when I lived by myself...sometimes even when I didn't and I knew my roommate would be gone for awhile. It's magnificent and I'm glad I"m not the only one who enjoys minimal clothing :)