Hopefully only "asking" in the rhetorical sense. Demanding and taking seem more accurate. Decades ago I introduced my dad and his wife to a river section in California that was perfect for nudism. We enjoyed hiking in and spending a couple of hours, they searched out other "free beaches" nearby on their own. Pat has been gone for years, when I moved Dad in with me six years ago I moved his art portfolio as well. He was a gifted artist and in one sketchbook I found a series of nudes he did of Pat...beautiful and a little generous.

Sadly, they fell into evangelical Christianity and their freedom slipped away. Shame came back into their lives, what a waste. I do envy the idea of people regarding my body as ornamental, desirable, but then I've never had to deal with the intrusive gaze. The closest I have come was when I brought my first dog home, Max the chocolate lab. He was gorgeous, and I could literally see the heads turn in cars driving past as we walked. Believe me, I have never turned heads. How great it would be if we could see and appreciate beauty for its own sake, without the exploitative cultural pre loads...maybe someday.