Shirltess salutations!

A blog about shirtlessness?  Well, what the heck...there are blogs about more trivial topics out there.  And as members of the Yahoo group "Shirtless Lifestyle" (groups.yahoo.com/group/Shirtless_Lifestyle) know, this subject is anything but trivial.  It's about self-esteem, manhood, sexuality, health, fitness, male bonding, individual rights, and the way one relates to the world.

Until recently, I spent my whole life shirtless-phobic, all the way back to childhood.  I was never an athletic kid, and though I wasn't particularly out of shape, going without a shirt was something the tougher, buffer boys did.  I envied the neighborhood kids who played outside shirtless like it was nothing, but I hated getting stuck on the "skins" team in gym class.  For most of my adult life, I've worked out and kept myself in decent shape (though I've put on an extra 10-15 pounds because I quit smoking a couple of months ago; I'm working on taking it off again), but the old inhibitions remained.

Then I stumbled across the Shirtless Lifestyle group on Yahoo.  I was astonished to learn there were legions of guys who shared the same concerns, the same self-image issues, and the same desire to belong to the "shirt-free elite" - to feel the sun on their shoulders, the breeze on their chests, and the freedom and exhilaration of going bare-chested.  Guys of all ages and body types were sharing stories about overcoming their fears and shedding their shirts.

A turning point for me came this past Veterans' Day weekend when about a dozen buddies and I stayed at a friend's lake house and spent pretty much the entire time without shirts - boating, cooking out, playing volleyball, etc.  Emboldened by the Yahoo group and the knowledge that I was among friends, I kept my shirt off and enjoyed the bare-chested bonding with my buds.

Since then I've been getting more and more willing to push the envelope with my shirtlessness...driving, answering the door for deliveries, taking out the trash, hanging out with friends, etc.  I might never be so daring as to go shopping and clubbing and such without a shirt, but I'm glad for the newfound confidence, not to mention the motivation to whip myself into shape again.

What do I envision for this blog?  Well, for starters, I plan to share my experiences going shirtless around other people.  I'm not familiar enough yet with the Blogger format to know if I can allow others to post their own stories, but I would welcome it.  I'll also track my progress in getting my 41-year-old carcass back into presentable condition.  Occasionally I'll post photos of bare-chested guys taken by me, and if all else fails, pics from the internet that I like.

This blog might include themes and discussions of an adult nature.