Work Text:
“It’s nice outside, I’m gonna go for a walk!”
These words were spoken by Charlie Rosenberg, aged 45, loving husband and father of two. Lo and behold, Charlie was at his front door, stretching a bit, ready to head out. He looked well for his age, his neatly combed hair and mustache a pleasant salt and pepper color blend and a thin frame with only slight paunch around his belly. His middle-aged good looks almost made you forget he was naked outside of some footwear.
The nude man took ten steps from his house before his wife, Miriam, popped out from the doorway and loudly said, “Charles Levi Rosenberg, are you forgetting something for your walk?”
Charlie turned back and looked at his wife, genuinely confused. “I don’t think I’m missing anything…am I?”
Miriam rolled her eyes and replied, “Oh honey, you’d forget your own head if it weren’t attached to your neck.” She disappeared into the house and came back to the door frame. In her hand was…a smartwatch.
“If you’re going for a walk, make sure you manage to get your steps in,” she said, “You’ve been kvetching about needing to track your miles for your exercise.”
“How did this ever slip my mind? Thanks a million Mimi!” Charlie rejoiced, giving his wife a peck on the cheek before taking the watch and slipping it on his wrist.
Now fully prepared, Charlie set off on his walk, with Miriam waving him off. “Be sure to come back before dinner!” she called out.
Strolling around his neighborhood, the nude man was enjoying himself. Not only was he getting the blood flowing and shaking off malaise, he was connecting with nature at his most natural. Even when bounding on a concrete sidewalk, Charlie could feel the sun shine on his skin and the breeze flow past him, a wondrous combination of the senses.
While he enjoyed his activity, his fellow neighbors had differing views on what he was doing and wanted to make it known, gathered up into a gossip group.
“My God, how can anyone let him strut around like that?” Carol, Charlie and Miriam’s neighbor sneered.
“It’s frigging indecent. I wish someone had the stones to tell him off,” grumbled Frank, the community’s oldest resident.
“It really is offensive to see,” Dan the yuppie complained, “I mean…socks with sandals? Who does that?”
Erin, Dan’s wife and fellow yuppie, went the extra mile and said, “There should be a law against these kinds of combos.”
The other neighbors nodded in agreement over chastising Charlie’s choice in fashion, with some openly wishing he had better taste in footwear.
Charlie pretended he couldn’t hear them. It was a nice day out and he was going to enjoy it during his walk instead of letting others bring him down. So, walk on he did, basking in the sun’s warmth, his head held high. You could mock his fashion faux pas in shoes (and rightfully so) but you couldn’t mock Charlie Rosenberg’s gumption.