The Value of Discretion

The Value of Discretion

There is a particular event that often asserts it’s self in my memory, reminding me of truth. It occurred while I was vacationing on the island of Ibiza, a beautiful paradise in the Mediterranean.
Before I embarked on my journey, I knew that my stay was going to be for ten days. So I decided to create new garments to wear while I was there. I also knew that for the first time in my life, I was going to witness nude beaches. That was not an issue, since I drew nudes in various positions for eight years while attending the university. Still, I was not completely sure of what my experiences would be in a different culture or what would be required of my appearance.
I recognized the conservative Wisconsin girl and the spiritual, freedom-loving Minnesota woman in my soul. So I decided to create a variety of apparel . A few were conservative and a few were somewhat “risqué”.
On the day of the event, the weather was quite cool. So I decided to wear warmth. The dress I chose was conservative. It had sleeves below my wrists and it’s length was to the ground. It’s color was pastel blue-green and it’s fabric was a tiny terra-cloth. I wore my waist-length hair unbundled for extra warmth, since it covered me like a shawl.
Walking down the boardwalk, I shivered as I watched women roller blading and walking the beach while nude or scantily clothed. I thought, “They must be very cold”. The sun had gone behind the clouds and with that..…..the wind was a penetrating chill. Then I noticed five yacht captains, dressed in their dark blue uniforms and standing in front of an eatery. They looked so demure while conversing about the day.
As I walked by, they tipped their hats and bowed their heads in respect. I looked around me to see who they were tipping to. There were nude women everywhere and I was trying to see who had the better body. When I looked back at them, I caught their eyes and they smiled in unison. I felt perplexed at the chivalry.
After a season in thought, I realized what that moment in time taught me. There is value in discretion, even though the world whispers to me differently. I also learned about the true core of a man’s heart. In it is a desire for purity. Even though…….the world shouts at him to take a different path.