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 Yesterday evening I watched I’m Pregnant and… A Nudist on Discovery Health. Sherri, the expectant mother in this story, is a third generation nudist whose grandmother owns and operates a nudist retreat in Texas and much of the program was filmed there (with the expected blurring, of course). Over all, I thought it treated the topic of nudism in a positive light. That is, they didn’t say anything negative or focus on things like body types. Nudist were portrayed as ordinary people.
However, there was one thing about the program that bothered me. That was Sherri’s apparent "dilemma" over whether or not to raise her daughter as a nudist. In one part, she saw a therapist about it. Was this "issue" created just to insert drama or bias into the program?
I would think that it would be pretty much a non-issue since nudism would certainly be part of the child’s growing up since many members of the family are nudists and she will probably visit the resort with her family quite often. The father isn’t a nudist but he didn’t seem to have a problem with it and he accompanies his wife to the to resort when she visits her family there. Sherri’s sister was also raised in a nudist environment but chose not to be a nudist and it seemed evident that she had some hang ups about nudity.
During the program, the Sherri stated several times that she would let her daughter decide for herself when the time came but I don’t understand why she felt the need to talk to a therapist about this. I would think that the therapist might introduce doubt and anxiety about raising a child around casual nudity. Maybe I’m just a little confused, having neither been raised nor raised my own children nudist. It seems to me that it would only be an problem if the family (or the state of Arkansas) made it an issue.
In my mind, the introduction of this "dilemma" seemed to infer that while nudism might be okay for adults, it might not be an appropriate environment for raising children. I disagree with this viewpoint. My informal research and discussions with other nudists indicated otherwise.
For what it’s worth…
Actually, I’d just rather go naked.
I can get behind the yamas and niyamas of yoga and I agree that animals should be treated humanely. I probably would never wear fur as "fashion" but I can think of situations when wearing fur could be a matter of survival. We’ve got to weigh our choices and look at the options, right?
No one can accuse me of being a follower of fashion. I’ve been wearing the same "fashion" (T-shirts and jeans) nearly all of my life. I guess I’m anti-fashion. If I have to wear clothes, then it’s about economy and comfort. That’s what I like about nudism … being nude is economical and comfortable.
For what it’s worth…
Here are a few terms and phrases that I see in the media and nudist forums that don’t set well with me:
- Naughty bits
- Breasts, buttocks and genitalia are not, in and of themselves, "naughty." What you do with them or how you think of them might be naughty. For the record, my "bits" are quite well-behaved.
- Private parts
- As opposed to "public parts"? In a naturist/nudist setting, I guess they’re all public parts.
- Getting caught nude
- This phrase seems to infer that being nude is a bad thing, something we shouldn’t be doing. If someone unexpectedly sees you in the nude, be friendly, casual and natural. There’s no need to apologize since you have not committed any offense.
- Nudist colony
- A nude beach or a nudist resort is not a colony. They don’t exist for the benefit of a far away imperialist government nor is there a governor appointed by the head of state.
- For the children
- People claiming that children need to be protected from nudity are usually hard pressed to provide any credible evidence or sound logic to support that view. I’m still waiting to hear what the harmful effects are. Perhaps one of the best things we can do "for the children" is to help them grow up without body shame and self-image issues, to be well-adjusted and healthy, and to respect themselves and others.
For what it’s worth…
 Maybe it’s time to move out of our exclusive, secluded, secret society mindset. I’m open about being a nudist/naturist. This blog and web pages I have discussing nudism are accessible by anyone as are my associations with nudist organizations. Naturism is a lifestyle that I openly embrace yet I can’t openly and freely practice my lifestyle except in secluded enclaves or remote areas where I’m not likely to encounter anyone who might possibly be offended.
I’m not necessarily saying that I have a "right" to be nude anywhere I wish but casual, non-sexual nudity should certainly be decriminalized. If someone happens to see me nude while taking out my trash, checking my mail, tending my garden, or washing my car, it shouldn’t raise any undue concern. Or if I choose to swim nude at the Y or a municipal pool or sunbathe nude at my local beach, it shouldn’t raise any eyebrows or cause undue terror and moral indignation. Sure, it’s a utopian pipedream and will probably never come to pass in my lifetime. I accept that but my acceptance of the status quo does not mean I’m satisfied with it.
When you get right down to it, nudism is inclusive. Everyone can participate and it breaks down the barriers we create in our minds and with our clothing. All we ask is that you behave yourself, be courteous and respectful of others, and sit on a towel. Seems simple enough.
For what it’s worth…
"Body acceptance is the idea…Nude recreation is the way."
Lee Baxandall
Body acceptance and nude recreation are, in my opinion, only starting points in the naturist lifestyle. For some, that may be enough while others take it further and look upon naturism as a genuine lifestyle. I suspect that even those who are content with the recreational aspect, may be looking for more than volleyball, pentanque and sunbathing. Perhaps organized nudism, as a whole, isn’t offering more. Maybe as we’re trying to grapple with the challenges facing modern nudism, we’re losing touch with traditional naturist values and ideals, losing our way as it were.
As we adapt to changing morality, demographics, societal pressures, media influence, technology and business models, we need to keep in mind the traditional values and principles that makes us more than a bunch of naked people cavorting in the woods or on the beach. I’m not advocating that we adopt the same brand of naturism that was practiced nearly 100 years ago, or even 30 years ago. We need to adapt to changes and challenges facing modern nudism but with the traditional ideas as a foundation. We need to move into the 21st Century without selling out, yielding to the media’s influence or blindly falling into the fear and paranoia that seems to grip our society.
…many naturist clubs have lost the philosophy of naturism. To many, it is only an occasional recreational activity and represents simply an alternative to wearing a bathing suit. Gone are the social, psychological, environmental, and moral aspects of the movement.
Stéphane Deschênes
N 27.4 (Summer 2008)
Naturism is more than dropping your pants and it’s more than nude recreation. It’s a fun, wholesome, relaxing, healthy and moral way of life. People, nudist and non-nudist alike, need to understand that.
For what it’s worth…
When my backdoor neighbor erected a privacy fence around his backyard it got me to thinking about my ideas for creating a private space in my backyard once again. I procured a few fence posts and some clamps, pulled a few tarps out of storage and threw this together:
At this point it’s a work in progress which will improve over time. I can easily take it down and put it back up and I really only expect to be able to use it a few hours a week, probably on the weekends but it’s a start.
After I put it together, naturally I had to make use of it. It fulfills its purpose. Fortunately, I don’t get many visitors but I’ll post a sign just in case.
Nudiarist’s post The End of Skinbook?? and the accompanying comments brought up some good points about nudist online social networking as well a couple of side topics.
I’d been working on a commentary about the change in Ning’s policy on nudity but I found that I really don’t have a strong opinion about it one way or another. I can take it or leave it. If the Ning sites I’m involved with remain up, I’ll continue to participate as I have. I don’t see pictures as being absolutely necessary to the discussion. If the site owners, creators, whatever, want to keep the sites private, I’m okay with that just as I’m okay with discussing naturism in a more public forum. I’m not going to lose any sleep over the issue.
I’ve gone to the three naturist sites on Ning to which I belong, finding that nude photos had already been removed on two and the third still hadn’t done anything. On the third site, I went ahead and deleted my photos containing nudity. I changed my profile picture on all sites. I wouldn’t call it scrambling but it’s taken care of.
I still have my reservations about the current state of nudist social networks. The biggest problems I see are privacy (many are still unwilling to come out of the nudist closet), controlling the undesirable elements who are seeking things other than naturism, and a workable presentation framework (like Facebook or My Space). With Ning, a workable framework was provided. Nudist Clubhouse also has a suitable format but it has its limitations. Perhaps a site hosted and/or managed by one of the national or international nudist organizations could overcome these obstacles but I don’t see that happening in the foreseeable future. They’re still grasping with Web 1.0 although AANR seems to be making headway.
The best form of nudist social networking is still to visit nudist venues, gather with other nudists and make friends. There are plenty of resources available in the form of reputable web sites, discussion forums and blogs. Nudism is not a spectator sport so put on your uniform, get out on the playing field and have fun.
For what it’s worth…
Thanks to i-Naked/i-Nudist for posting this. And thanks to Steve Crowley for his nudist cartoons.
I’ve made plans to visit Cedar Trails Nudist Retreat for National Nude Recreation Week three years in a row and something has always come up. This year I cleared my schedule ahead of time with the family to make sure there were no “planned” family activities.
My day at Cedar Trails was great. I met up with an online friend and we walked some of the trails and then I hung out around the pool for a while. At three o’clock I joined 110 other naked people in the pool for the AANR skinny-dip record attempt. I was surprised that a 20×40 pool would hold that many people but it seemed like there was room for more.
A little before five, I reluctantly went back to my truck, put my clothes back on and drove home. Like any good nude day, it ended too soon for me.
I posted the following in response to a forum discussion concerning how non-nudists perceive organized nudism as confining and shut off from mainstream society. Another idea discussed was how nudist publications seem to show nudists being nude for the sake of being nude, leading to other societal misconceptions. The original poster made a reply that he had gotten a response from an “open-minded textile” who was hesitant to see the value in being nude while doing everything and labeled nudism as a fetish.
I’d hardly call my practice of naturism a fetish. Sure, I derive pleasure from being nude but it’s no more a fetish than someone finding pleasure in wearing fine clothes or a comfortable pair of blue jeans. It’s a clothing choice, a preference. I’ve come to look at clothing from a utilitarian viewpoint. Does the clothing I wear serve a purpose? Do I need to wear it?
Naturism has certainly played a major role in my quest for “inner peace.” In naturism, I learned to accept myself for who I am, not what others expect or want me to be. It began at a physical level but, over time, it has gone deeper than that. You can’t find inner peace unless you’re relaxed and completely comfortable with yourself. Naturism has become more than a clothing or recreational choice, it’s part of how I live even if I happen to be clothed.
I honestly haven’t looked at the nudism for the sake of nudism focus in nudist publications but you may be right. I’m not sure what we can do to change that focus. Both AANR and TNS tend to focus on nude recreation rather than as a lifestyle, a way of everyday living with positive benefits for our psychological and physical health. Would that make it more appealing to people? Naturism appeals to me as way of life, of which nude recreation is just one part.
Nudism and naturism are difficult concepts to explain to people, especially those who are not quite ready to put aside societal and cultural perspectives, prohibitions and conditioning concerning nudity. For many non-nudists, there are very few valid reasons to be nude and they usually want to get it over with as quickly as possible.
Our lifestyle has to be experienced to really be understood and appreciated but it’s hard to convince them that it’s perfectly fine to do everyday activities without clothing and that doing so may be more comfortable, more relaxing, and have other benefits. It’s about changing attitudes and perspectives, hardly ever an easy task.
That nudism is practiced in isolation from society concerns me. We close the blinds in our homes and erect privacy fences in our back yards. Our resorts are often in rural areas and surrounded by thick woods or high fences. In natural settings, we often gravitate to remote, isolated areas. On one hand, it’s to protect our privacy and to ensure we’re left alone to enjoy our lifestyle in peace. Yet, at the same time, it’s perceived as a fortress mentality, a means of isolating ourselves from the society that we want to accept us. People tend to be suspicious of activities which are hidden. In a sense, we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place.
All I know to do is to belong to the national organizations and support them in their efforts to represent us. On an individual level, I try to be open and straightforward about my chosen lifestyle and my affiliations within it. I’m not ashamed of my body or of being a naturist. I have no spiritual or moral conflicts between naturism and anything else in my life. If anything, naturism forms part of the foundation of my spiritual and moral beliefs.
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"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self." ~ Cyril Connolly
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