Privacy Breach

Within the last year, the lunatic who lived at the end of my street started an ill-conceived construction project that involved cutting down some large trees on city property, and ultimately ended with him destroying the foundation of his own house - which is now condemned. In the short term, waking up to the sound of a backhoe tearing up earth in the pre-dawn twilight was pretty obnoxious, but even now, the entire appearance of the hillside remains irrevocably altered, without any input whatsoever from the rest of us living in the valley. Of particular concern to me is that there is now a clear view open from a house and short stretch of street up on the hilltop, straight to my backyard - where I'd previously enjoyed the privacy to work and play naked, [mostly] free from prying eyes. (Not that I care about being seen; I just like the peace of mind that comes from knowing that nobody is going to see anything that's going to create any problems - whether for themselves or for me).

Not that I've changed my lawncare or nude recreation routine, mind you. I moved into this house largely on the promise of its private backyard, and I'm not going to give that up over the unexpected actions of a renegade neighbor. I'm sophisticated enough to make an argument, should anyone challenge me, about my rights versus the concessions I make in deference to community standards. And anyway, the house on that hill is set at an angle, and you'd have to stop at just the right spot on the road, and look in just the right direction at just the right moment when I'm out in the yard to see anything - and even then, it would be at a considerable distance, far enough away to obscure the finer details of my naked glory.

But still - notwithstanding my ability to appreciate an exhibitionistic thrill (which, I know, is enough to condemn me in most people's eyes, but I contain multitudes) - it gives me one more source of anxiety when all I wanna do is enjoy the feeling of being unclothed outdoors, among the natural elements, without being harried by the artificial taboos of a gymnophobic society.