Striptease

The first time I went to see a doctor in France it went something like this.

I walked into the dr's office, I sat down in a chair in front of his desk. Behind me was an examination room, no door. There was a secretary out at the front desk, and that's where she stayed the whole time I was there.

Dr asked me what the problem was, I told him. He asked me to get undressed and so he could examine me. I stood up, he stood up and we both waited. For what seemed like a really long time. He was waiting for me to get undressed and I was waiting for him to leave the room, obviously. Finally he said, "Would you undress please?" Of course, I said. Another pause. Eventually he said, "Um, now?" Oh. Ok. So I got undressed in front of the dr. Which should be no big deal, he was going to see me in my underwear and bra anyway, so why the hesitation?

Well, I guess it's because the act of undressing seemed more intimate and revealing than the being in my underwear in front of the guy. So that first time, I felt like a bad stripper on her first day at work. Uptight and unsure.

Since then, I've gotten used to the system here - undressing as soon as we finish talking, getting pelvic exams with no sheet, breast exams with no gown. Maybe a little bit too used to it.

The last time I was in Seattle, I had to see a dr. He and an intern came in, we talked, they asked me to get undressed and they would examine me. As soon as I heard the word undressed, up and nearly nude I got, before they had a chance to leave. They looked like it was their first time in a strip bar. Uptight and unsure.