I remember one time when I was a kid - Dad was in a t-shirt and shorts, sweating up a storm while struggling to extricate a tree stump in the front yard. Our neighbor across the street came over without a shirt and proceeded to help my father, who immediately removed his own shirt. It was the first time I was struck by the idea that the power of example could entice others to take their shirts off.
In retrospect, I kinda wish my father had been more pro-active in encouraging me to go shirtless, so I might not have been so shy about it for so long. I have a sneaking suspicion that if my mother had not been in the picture, Dad would have gone bare-chested a lot more often. At least I can be grateful that I inherited my hairy chest from him.
How about you? Did you have a shirtless dad?
