Topless On the Top Floor

Summary

The article discusses the author's personal experience with the newfound freedom of writing topless in her home after her son has left for college, reflecting on the comfort and liberation it brings, as well as the broader theme of body acceptance among writers sharing their stories on Breast Stories.

Abstract

Amy Sea, the author, delves into the mixed emotions of dealing with an empty nest as her son prepares to leave home, highlighting the unexpected perk of being able to write without a top due to the warmth of her top-floor office. She muses on the double standards of societal nudity, expressing a newfound appreciation for the comfort men might feel in similar situations. The article touches on the broader topic of body autonomy and acceptance, referencing other writers' experiences with breast augmentation or reduction, and how these changes have led to a sense of rightness in their bodies. Amy Sea concludes that the departure of her children has given her the freedom to embrace a different kind of comfort and confidence in her own skin.

Opinions

The author views the empty nest syndrome as a bittersweet experience, with the departure of children bringing a sense of loss but also newfound personal freedoms.
She expresses a sense of liberation and comfort in being able to write topless in her home, which she attributes to the absence of her son and the rise of heat in her top-floor office.
Amy Sea draws a parallel between her experience and the broader theme of body acceptance, noting that the feeling of being at home in one's body is a shared human desire, regardless of gender.
She challenges societal norms regarding nudity and gender, questioning why men can enjoy certain freedoms that women typically cannot.
The author acknowledges the diversity of experiences among writers who have undergone changes to their breasts, whether through augmentation or reduction, and how these changes have positively impacted their sense of self.
She reflects on the idea that the freedom to be topless in her own home is a small but significant benefit during the transition period of her son leaving home.

When the kids leave home, nudity is not far behind

Canva adapted

Many of my friends are suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome for the first time and it’s a doozy. It’s strange making a family and then having most of them leave. It disrupts the rhythm.

Are there any benefits at all?

My son has a few years till he flies the coop. I’m starting the see the Bye, bye, mom on the horizon. He used to invite his friends here all the time, but he’s found a shiny new location where he spends all his time. I’m happy for his independence but my heart is filing a missing person’s report.

My husband and I can’t even figure out what movies we have in common. Our son’s movies always trumped our own. Last night we ended up watching some weird spy movie that either casted people who mumbled or we’re both losing our hearing. Double whammy. When he heard me snoring on the giant bean bag, my husband turned on a game.

So what’s the good news, Mrs. Lincoln? you ask. What’s the benefit of the kids leaving home? And what the boobala does it have to do with breasts?

The good news is I can write topless. I am writing topless right now. Winter is on the horizon and we’ve on turned the heat. Since my office is on the top floor and heat rises, I am boiling.

Realizing my son is sleeping elsewhere, I can take off my pajama top and not worry about a gaggle of 13-year-old boys running up the stairs.

Is this what it feels like to be a dude? I wonder. You’re hot and you take off your shirt? It’s incredibly liberating.

There are some writers on Breast Stories who got breasts later in life for various reasons. They talk about the joy of cleavage, the pride of feeling like they’re in the right body — the relief of it.

Sometimes they had their breasts augmented. Other times, they had removed some of their mass. Either way, they feel like they’re at home in their body — finally.

This is how I feel when I write topless. I can’t believe men can sit in cafes in hot cities and countries, enjoy a cup of coffee, write their novels, talk on the phone, have a drink, kiss a friend — all without a shirt.

For now, I only have the top floor of my pending empty nest. I don’t feel any more or any less like a woman in this newfound nudity. It doesn’t feel sexy or naughty. It feels comfortable.

This is the blessing of the children leaving the building. I am free to write like a man. The only people who can see me are God — and the guys fixing the roof next door.

Art by Amy Sea

BREAST STORIES

Topless On the Top Floor

When the kids leave home, nudity is not far behind

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