People have a happy phase in life and also a sad phase. The last couple of weeks made me feel like am I having a striptease phase. In a college event that I participated, my character demanded I walk the ramp with my shirt off. More than my character demanding it my colleagues were of the opinion that it would add to the character. May be you might think that I have a great body or an excellent physique but the fact is exactly opposite. The theme being gothic I am supposed to wear some body art. Well, I haven’t stood in a vest out of my house in my entire life and now I am going to walk a ramp infront of more than 100 people(for no reason I am glad that Mr. R. R. Patil is not listed in those 100) with my shirt off and not enough body art to hide my prominent rib cage.
Already nervous about my performance next week, I did not expect to have a rehearsal this week. When I thought about walking half naked I told myself that I could just concentrate on the male part of the audience and not feel embarrassed but the rehearsal that I accidentally underwent was much more embarrassing. Just three males in the room and around 7 to 8 females. This rehearsal that I am talking about is the time when I was forced to volunteer as a subject to test the tele- ecg machine and to make matters worse a 12- lead ecg machine. My project guide asked me to take off my shirt and vest and lie down(I wish I could deny) well, I didn’t mind volunteering as a subject but I did mind the presence of so many females in the same room. While I was lying with just my pants on and hoping that the tag of my undergarment wasn’t visible I recollected one of my childhood memories.
I was 5 when I removed my shirt infront of a crowd unwillingly for the first time. It was some school function and they were playing some stupid game when the host asked the participants to get some particular coloured shirt from the crowd. Me, one of the few, blessed with immense misfortune was wearing the required color. A ‘female’ contestant eagerly approached me and her over- enthusiasm made me feel as if she’d tear away my shirt if I didn’t hand it over. Yet, I resisted. However, she pleaded to my mother and my mother while trying to convince me took off my shirt and handed it over. I started crying because even at 5 if I could not spell “embarrassment”, yet, I was. There were so many females around me. The only good thing was that the host noticed it and gave me a gift. The gift was a water bottle with a small tiffin on its top.
Whatever!!! I was 5 then, I am 21 now. I just hope the body art that am supposed to wear is attractive. i hope that my requirements to volunteer half naked is the last time next week. I know I am a guy and shouldn’t be so embarrassed but well, walking the ramp is the first step to overcome the embarrassment. Still, that doesn’t mean people expect me to roam around with my shirt off!!
