Strip!
Hey wild ones,
Nothing like a provocative title to capture someone’s attention. I scribbled this title idea on a scrap of paper 4 months ago and tucked it in my idea folder. Thumbing through the folder, “Strip!” jumped into my brain’s arms and said, “take me.” Not sure where I’m going, but I’ll find out. Want to join me?
The first thought that comes to mind is strip off your clothes, something that can be construed as negative or positive depending on the context. I had a friend in the wild and wacky late 80’s who was a stripper in Boston’s Combat Zone only I didn’t know it. She told me she made her $1200 a week working at a hair salon. Whenever I asked her to cut my hair she said, “I don’t do hair for friends.” Sounded reasonable. I’m embarrassed to admit this but after I discovered she stripped for a living (a client came up and kept calling her by her stage name), I backed off from our friendship. I know it hurt her. And I felt terrible.
Talk about judgmental. What had really changed? Nothing. I learned from a young age to sort what folks did for a living into the good, the bad and the ugly. Who was I to do such sorting? Are the folks who land in the good bin really better than the folks in the ugly bin?
What’s the measure of a good heart? My former friend had always been supportive and generous with her time.
On a ship of fools going nowhere I was …
In the intervening years, I’ve tried to strip off
pretense
title worship
obedience training
fear of what others think
job-related costumes
job-related faces
unnecessary possessions (this one’s hard!)
canned responses
others’ definitions of success
the need to please
layers of conformity
groupthink
using ignorance as an excuse for not doing the right thing
the need to cloak myself in “white” lies
As always, thanks for reading my words … Much appreciated. G.
Is there anything you’d like to strip off?
RSS
Don’t laugh, but I thought of Christina Aguilera’s CD Stripped when I read this post. She was criticized for releasing the first video Dirty… and so the CD didn’t do that well after that. But the CD is wonderful. It’s all about stripping away the facade. I was in my late 20s at the time… but I listened to it while I was driving to Portland, a cross country move that stripped me to the core. I think life is committed to teaching us to be authentic.
Hi Angie,
So interesting how we associate music with life changing events. I have found your line that follows to be absolutely true, “I think life is committed to teaching us to be authentic.” Life humbles us into being ourselves, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s the whole point?
Just listened to “Walk Away” on Christina’s Stripped CD. Will see if it’s at karaoke as I’m going in a few hours. Beautiful, sexy, soulful rendition. My kind of song to sing.
Man, I’ve lived these lines of the song:
Inside I’m screaming
Breaking, pleading the world
Ahh…
Thx! G.
Stripping – the vulnerability of it in most any sense of the word scares people. I know women and men who don’t strip or appear nude, without circumstances, to their partners – especially in the light. What is it about being stripped that scares us?
I remember being stripped of my job and a means of taking care of my daughter… scary, confusing, and in the end… life changes for us with a move etc. Stripping allows us to find ourselves.
Hi TE,
Yes, what’s with hiding our bodies from the light. Maybe, we don’t feel we can measure up to an airbrushed body? You’re right that stripping scares us. We come into the world naked and spend the rest of our lives layering ourselves with all sorts of disguises. Ditto what Michael says about “Stripping allows us to find ourselves.” Beautiful line.
Thx. G.
I would love to strip myself of the fear that one day I’ll run out of stories. I can’t see the end of them yet, and still I have this fear. Sometimes it paralyzes me.
I love this from The Exception: “Stripping allows us to find ourselves.” I think that the act of stripping, preferably when we choose it, but even if life does it to us, is a scary, nasty, liberating, joyful experience if we can hold on and be present, really in that moment, while it’s happening.
Hey Michael,
Funny you mention that about being stripped of stories. I wonder if all writers have that fear. I’ve been doing these posts once a week for over a year and sometimes wonder if I’ll run out of something to say.
Today, I said to myself, “no, you won’t.” Even this story I’d forgotten about until I started writing today, wondering where my keyboard clicks would take me. We try to drown our stories. The beauty of writing is how it breathes life back into them and guides them to the surface.
Thx. G.
It’s a wonderful thing when you strip it all away and you like what you find.
I always think of the line in Peaceful Warrior where he says, “Put your bags down.”
Hi J.D.,
I’m guessing that most folks will like what they find, that the angst people feel comes from the phony gunk smeared on top. I love “put your bags down.” That says it all!
Thx, G.
Giulietta,
One of the things I’m coming to appreciate as I age (coming up on 43) is the freedom in the strip. Why go on carrying all this useless baggage in life? Your post helped remind me this possibility of increased freedom. Thank you!
Hi Paul,
Yes, we need to promote emotional stripping! I totally agree with you on weighting ourselves down with useless baggage. My mother used to say I was dragging around “my little red wagon.”
Your post looks good! I will check it out. Thx, G.
Of course I came running over to see what this post was about, LOL!! Good one 🙂
Strip the mask off. Strip the wall down. Walls of fear and barriers we put up to avoid being “seen”.
Strip it.
Hi Tia,
It’s all in the title, isn’t it? Reading your comment I’m visualizing all these barriers we put in front of us to keep folks at bay. Really true. It takes some courage to step out in front and be seen as you mention. When I give talks I steer clear of the podium, just another barrier …
Thx, G.
Hi, I’m new to your blog and got to hear about you via the awesome @tolthinkfree. I must admit I got intrigued by the title, being a prude.
I’d like to strip myself of fear of strangers, lol (even after knowing strangers can later become good friends).
I stripped myself of:
– religion
– cravings for another being’s meat
and more un-useful stuff to let go in 2011!
It’s freeing and I’m loving it.
I like blogs that make me think and smile.
Hi Earthianne,
Welcome! Yes, Michael is awesome. (thx again Michael!) 2011 sounds like it may be one giant “un-useful stuff” strip tease. I can see them flying off your body, mind and soul. It’s the way to find real freedom! Congrats. I will check out your blog to learn more about the relationship between mouths and empathy. Thx. G.
Oh, haha, thank you, and I’ll play loud music while doing it. This heavy, useless baggage is not good for my neck anyway.
I think that most of us are afraid of stripping because we fear losing our dignity. But strangely enough stripping our minds, bodies and souls of excess baggage is probably one of the most liberating things we could ever do for ourselves.
Thank you for a lovely post. I definitely need to do some more stripping of my own.
Welcome back Tracy!
I’m glad you pointed out the fear of losing one’s dignity aspect. You’re right that it’s probably the #1 reason many of us drag such huge, cumbersome suitcases through life. Your comment made me think of a real life incident were I was dragging not only ultra heavy metaphorical baggage but real baggage as well. It’s going to be a new essay. So, triple thanks! G.
Giulietta: Great post and I like the concept of stripping away things that are working against us, like limiting beliefs. I think the more and more things we are able to strip away that arise from our egos, the closer we can get to living in the best way. Great list and concept.
Hi Sibyl,
Glad you brought up limited beliefs. It’s amazing how easily we get conditioned to believe things about ourselves and others and how hard it is to de-condition ourselves. What you say about egos fascinates. It’s our egos that need to be stripped! Thx, G.
Thanks for pointing me to this fascinating topic and so many interesting perspectives. I keep wondering: is it better to strip yourself than be stripped by someone else? It’s more difficult to strip yourself honestly, but oftentimes painful to be stripped by another. I’ve certainly learned a lot when I’ve been able to accept a stripping comment or conversation and apply it to my life/beliefs. Those experiences have taught me to apply stripping comments carefully and judiciously when dealing with others, particularly the young. Not everyone is ready to strip.
I love the way the one word you had stashed brought up this wonderful post–first the story about your friend the stripper which made me laugh and then feel sad, and then the thoughts on what stripping emotional might mean. I’m working mostly on stripping away the fear of what others might think–its a pesky, persistent devil.
Hi Charlotte,
One word titles can pack a lot of bunch, I’ve just discovered! There is one Italian author whose books I love — Alberto Moravia. One is called “Contempt.” So powerful on its own. Plan on doing a few more one word titles to see where they go. I congratulate you on stripping the fear of what others think. It’s key to freeing ourselves. Thx for stopping by again. Giulietta
Hi Alison,
I didn’t even think of how others “strip” us until you mentioned it here. Great point!
That’s certainly happened to me. I definitely felt emotionally “naked” and wasn’t ready for it. Yet years later, I recall most of those stripping incidents as important life turning points. Like you say, it taught me a lot about my own self-beliefs.
Now that I’m older, I’m better able to be stripped by others and not collapse in a heap of self-pity on the emotional floor.
Thx! G.
my first thought is stripping off your clothes can be a great experience, becoming comfortable with yourself in that mannerism I have learned that and it is very liberating. You wanted it, You got it!
Hi L4P,
Your comment reminds me of the old Noxzema Medicated Shave commercial, played to I believe David Rose’s The Stripper. Take it off, take it all off! Very fun song …
Thx for stopping by. G.
Ha, great post, Giulietta. Judging others for the work they do is one I’d like to see stripped. I’ve been put on the defensive a few times when new acquaintances learn about my political work.
As for what I’d like to strip, I’d like to get over thinking how loooong a project will take to complete. I have an impatient side that at times gets the better of me. Working on it…
Hey Belinda,
I’m so with you on not judging a person based on what they do for work. Look at all the banker-types who worked to bring the economy down. Some of the most interesting people I’ve met have had lower paid jobs but may have been in a band at night or a painter and need to save their energy for that. And what about so many Amercian Idol Contestants who were shunned until they showed up on the stage!
Yes, let’s strip that!
Best wishes for stripping impatience surrounding projects.
Thx, G.
you know what i want to strip?
fear, plain and simple.
Hey E!
A great one. If you can strip fear, the world truly becomes your oyster.
Thx. G.
Lately I’ve had this feeling and image of a giant chrysalis bursting open and something nascent, raw, and incredibly beautiful emerging.
I’ve also thought of the wonderful scene in one of the Narnia books, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” where Aslan tears away a false dragon skin off from the character Eustace, who had been behaving wretchedly and selfishly, but who learned how much he missed his cousins when he couldn’t communicate with them.
Read the passage here:
http://citylifecrossroads.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/eustace-the-dragon-meets-aslan/
Incredibly powerful.
DEEP stripping away.
Thanks, G.
Hi Jenna,
I like your image, the shedding of a cocoon. It reminds me of that great 1985ish movie called Cocoon, about some senior citizens who find the fountain of youth in a swimming pool filled with alien cocoons.
Enjoyed the passage, especially the ending. “After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again.”
Thx! G.
now this is just fun. what a word you chose! although i was already primed from your wonderful comment over at my place (thank you again for adding such dimension to the conversation), i immediately thought of how determined i am to strip away all the conditioning that keeps me handing my power over to anybody and everybody, and apologizing when i hang onto it. weird, huh?! how do i hand over my power? let me count the ways. and i’m stripping them consciously and thoughtfully, one at a time.
Welcome to Take Back Your Life, Jeanne!
Power, that’s something life-changing when you stop giving it away. Yes, we’re all conditioned to do it. It also happens en masse, entire populations acquiesce. I learned to stand in line “quietly” in elementary school. When one kid did something bad, all of us had to then stand in line for recess. Why didn’t we rebel? Collective conditioning.
thx, G.