Okay, okay, I know. The title may have misled you. There will be nothing *tacky* here on the subject of naked, so if that’s your interest, move on.
I’m talking about the very first time, after a long tedious winter, and after an even longer, more tortuous cold spring, the VERY FIRST TIME you leave your house WITHOUT A COAT. No jacket. No protective layer or outer shell. Just you. In your cotton t-shirt. Short-sleeves, mind you. Full monty, crazy courageous, bare-armed NAKED in the sunshine. Practically.
Tentatively swinging wide your front door and testing the air: will I die of frostbite today? Will I get sunburn around noon and then suffer the pangs of a cold north wind during my commute home? Feeling brave, setting out down the street. NO JACKET. I’m telling you, it’s as if I woke up this morning in a swimsuit model’s body, threw on a bikini and starting flitting around the streets of my neighborhood with a perfect tan, a peppy soundtrack and not an iota of modesty. That’s *exactly* what this feels like.
If you live in a warm or temperate place, you may never know this feeling. Part of me wishes I lived there, and that I don’t know this feeling. As delicious as it is, the novelty of getting to move through the world without a jacket today pales in comparison with the prolonged pleasure of getting to move through world without a jacket EVERY DAY FOR MONTHS. I just love a temperate climate. Bliss.
When I lived in England, I was very amused by how the natives of that country welcome the sun: they too get naked. I’d be walking through the green parks on the first sunny day of spring – not the first warm day, the first SUNNY day – and would be blinded by some reflective pale surface over there among the daffodils. Ah yes, a pasty British man, wearing only shorts and socks, lying there in the grass, soaking in the sun. A person-sized collection of goose bumps, blinding all his neighbors, defiantly determined to brave the cool breeze for the feel of sun on his skin. And he wasn’t alone. I’ve seen others do the same thing. I think it’s weird and funny and endearing – the socks are for me a particularly British touch – although it was much more endearing when I remembered to wear my sunglasses.
Postscript - Thanks to my sister for announcing to the world my presence, and to welcoming commenters who have made me laugh and feel welcomed and feel less like that whole embarrassed 'naked in public' thing. When I get the hang of this blogging thing (all I've got down now is the part where I type stuff), I'll be able to post links to your own pages and photos and such like. For now though I'll just say thanks as warmly as possible and send you a cyber-hug (fully clothed).
6 comments:
Welcome to our little corner of the blogospher!
I know exactly what you mean! Living in Minnesota all of my life....I look forward each Spring to the day I can do errands without packing on layers of clothing and finetuning the "in-case-of-blizzard" necessities in the trunk of my car! Woo-hoo! It's 80 degrees here today...and I just returned from doing errands without a jacket! In fact, I risked life and limb and went outside in short sleeves! It's a VERY good day!
Diane
I hear you, Diane. The day my elbows greet the sun is a red letter day every spring.
In Oregon, sun is a godsend. Most of the time, I'll just settle for dry!
Welcome to blogland! And your sister was so very subtle in her announcement. And I'm enjoying going naked too. (Although my jacket is still sitting across the back of the chair just in case.)
Here in SD, we see some pretty pale legs in April too. I know what you mean about the coat, I love when spring rolls around and you don't have to wear a coat everyday!
cyber hug, fully clothed?! HA!
and doesn't it make it even sweeter when you're out and about, jacketless, and your sis in tx tells you it's cold and rainy where she is...?
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