Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLIII

Today's topic is.....well....uh...okay, it's a man's perspective about a certain part of the female anatomy. Do I now have your attention? If you will read all the way to the end before you write me off as a dirty old man, you'll understand more clearly my reasons for discussing this subject. My goal is to be as brutally honest and as directly to the point as possible. Here goes: No doubt, when a little girl is about to the age to where she begins to change from a girl to a woman, she looks in the mirror every day, watching for some little bumps to appear on her chest. In a public setting, we usually refer to them as breasts, although we have an almost endless supply of other names for them, such as boobs, tits, hooters, etc. There have been times when I've seen an individual with long hair, and at first it was difficult to determine if it was male or female, so I looked to see if there were some boobs present. Every woman wants them, and every man loves them. Women want it to be evident that they're there under their clothing, yet the actual breasts are extremely personal, to the point that they are kept hidden from everyone except their husbands. We can discuss breasts in general with anyone, like I'm doing now, but we're not supposed to mention any individual woman's breasts, due to their personal nature. For example, I can say, "I like that dress you're wearing," or "You have beautiful hair," or maybe even, "Your skin tone is gorgeous," but it would not be appropriate for me to say, "Hey, nice boobs." They're a beautiful part of a woman, and they're as varied in appearance as the women are themselves. Some women have had surgical procedures to make them bigger, while others have had breast reduction operations, although I'm not aware of any situations where breast size kept any young lady from attracting a mate. However, we men do appreciate women who try hard to make themselves as beautiful as possible, and breasts are definitely a part of that equation. Now to my point: There's one aspect on this topic that I find alarming! I've already mentioned the extremely personal and private nature of women's breasts, but there is becoming a much too frequent occurrence when individual women's breasts are becoming a topic of conversation of everyone who knows her, and it appears to be especially prevalent in Northeast Louisiana, where I live. What self respecting lady wants her breasts to be discussed in the living rooms of all her neighbors? But that's exactly what happens when a woman hears that dreadful news, "You have breast cancer." Suddenly that part of her that adds so much to her attractiveness and beauty becomes a source of distress, anguish and fear. She then begins to worry that in the eyes of those around her, she will seem less feminine and will be missing part of what makes her a woman. We men don't see it that way. We're distressed to hear the news, and all we want is for you to get well, whatever it takes. I can name several women who have come through that awful ordeal with such courage and grace that I actually end up having a higher opinion of them. We hate it for you when you have to have one of your "girls" removed, but it can be replaced with a new one that looks just as good. Yes, ladies, I admit, we LIKE your boobs, but we LOVE you, and we just want you well. Believe me....we're on your side on this one. Preston