just a bit outside

if i may, i would like to broach a subject important to us all but not normally openly discussed in polite company. fearlessly, i will storm the gates of politeness and jump right in. one of the things i find the most daunting, the most uncomfortable and the most inhumane of issues i deal with on a day to day basis is the lack of naked time. yes, naked time. unless you have lived in a tent with 50 of your closest friends, you have not played with the idea of not being naked for an extended period of time. you might ask, 'what about the shower?' let me remind you of shower shoes. a person needs time to air out. think of little babies. how often have you walked into a friends house or perhaps your own nursery and found a spanking naked bumpkin? as any mother will tell you, babies need time to air out. so why is it we lose this requirement as we age. seems like the older we get the more our aging skin needs a good 'airing out'.

now many of you are thinking its a bit uncouth to speak of nakedness and i understand. many of you are good southern baptist taught that dancing is an abomination much less dancing naked! but be honest, who hasn't had that sunday morning when they had the house all to themselves, no one would be around for hours and all you wanted to do was be natural?

its just a thought. even in this life of comfort, it tends to be little gifts that mean the most. whether it be a note left on the windshield of your car by a loved one, someone making your favorite dinner or a bit of naked time, it is the small things which make life livable. i think this is the central argument for simple living.

this note really isn't going anywhere, but the thought was firm in my head. this base is like no other military institution i've ever been on. everyone where's civilian cloths around here. its strange, yet nice. the past couple of days, i've thought about clothing and its significance often. as i walked around in my blue adidas pants and red toyota shirt, which unfortunately you all know well, i could not help to laugh at how the difference of camouflage meant so much. if i see a old school tan cami uniform with large swabs of drab color, i see navy and consequently shipmates and friends. small green and tan digital squared cami's with a floppy hat, equals army, i.e. sheep. lately, the third leg of the fire triangle arrived on base...the tan and brown digital cami's of the marines. i have an innate dislike for all marines. i would enjoy my blanket dislike if i didn't like so many of them. sounds like a contradiction, but it is what it is.

none of these ridiculous outfits have the first thing to do with who the person is. it might dictate actions for a few hours while worn, but when those precious few moments of 'naked time' arrive, we are all somehow the same. all of us. all hoping to find love, keep love; find prosperity, keep prosperity; find peace and keep peace. well, here's to stripping down. have a happy naked day.

luke