It was an unusually warm day for this time of year in my city, so I decided to pay a visit to a well known 'clothing optional' beach. It's a bit of a party beach too, where people of all ages and gender bare all indiscriminately. The culture of a beach like this is really a bit overwhelming for me. I couldn't put my finger on it earlier but there was just too much of something at that beach for me to feel right. But it wasn't too much skin - although there was plenty of that. I loved the line, "a jumbled Picasso of bellybuttons", in the article. And I think it's great that people get out there for some good beach fun, no matter what. It isn't gross. But when ALL the clothes come off, I find there is this weird mental switch that happens. The vibe turns from being one about the body to one about the brain. Without the clothing, our similar humanity becomes so real, that all there is left to share is inside our own mind.