Dear Annie: I’m a man in my 30s who is a nudist at heart. Though I enjoy doing things clothes-free, my wife, “Jamie,” does not. Jamie has gone with me to a nude beach — and “participated” — only once, and that was as a gift for my quitting smoking.

Jamie reluctantly allows me to attend one nudist event a year, but I have found myself wanting to do more — doing online research about different nudist sites in my area.

I know that Jamie would not want to go to any nudist events herself — though I would love it if she changed her mind — so I’m trying to figure out how best to broach the topic of my wanting to go alone.

The problem is that she, like so many others, mistakenly believes that naturism is a sexual thing. For me and the vast majority of nudists, it’s not. I simply enjoy the freedom of being able to be outside naked. Also, most nudists are quite a bit older than I am.

How should I let my wife know about my desire to go to more nudist events? — Free Bird

Dear Free Bird: If being a naturist is that important to you, I would say to continue this dialogue with your wife about why you enjoy it and what the benefits are for you as an individual. Marriage is about compromise and seeing things from the other perspective, so it does put a small damper on just how free of a bird you can be. Continue to talk to her about the importance of it to you, and be grateful that she does not object to your annual nudist event, especially because she has no interest in participating. You can never force someone to do something she does not want to do, but you can continue to communicate to her about why it is so important to you.

Editor’s note: Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.