My Naturist Epiphany and Nudist Story Part 1: Obstacles To Becoming A Nudie
Guest site by: Wayne Brake
My name is Wayne, but this can be a pseudonym I feel compelled to use because reasons. Not to sound glib but we do live in a quite clothed, erclosed-minded society where nudists and naturists are persecuted, notably in the workplace. I know for a fact that if I came out as a naturist to my family and friends they'd probably try to perform some kind of gymnophobia-flavored intervention / exorcism on me. *le sigh*
My Naturist Epiphany
I am in my mid-forties and I Have been a practicing naturist for about five years now. I say "practicing" because I Have been a naturist at heart since my early girls.
Reflecting on this now I realize how curative this was. As a result, I grew up with some pretty crippling body image problems. I couldn't even bring myself to wear shorts and t-shirts in public. Even during the hottest days of summer I'd be bundled up in jeans and long-sleeved tops, always flirting with the threat of heat prostration.
It wasn't until I reached my thirties that I became vaguely comfortable in my own skin. With http://descargarwassap.gratis/wp-content/plugins/AND-AntiBounce/redirector.php?url=https://nudebeach.buzz/contents/80258749/1.html came a renewed interest in naturism. http://martintoyota.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=nudebeach.buzz/contents/82623075/4.html recall visiting St. Maarten back in 2003 and wrestling with an overwhelming desire to bound off the tour bus, tear off my clothes and join all of those happy-looking naked people frolicking on the sand at Orient Bay.
A couple of years later I learned that there was a clothing-optional beach just a short drive away from me. One Sunday day I guided my wife and a close friend out that way for a hike. I roughly understood where the naked beach was and I blatantly led them to the outskirts, keen on gaging their reaction to this.
HUGE FREAKIN' ERROR, by the way. The moment we got within line of sight of a single nude guy standing predominately on a tall stone my friend, who has incredibly poor eyesight, took this opportunity to pipe up.
"Wow," he said. "I've never been so happy to be blind in my entire life."
Undeniably humorous, yes, but it made me think: Why do you feel so threatened by this? Does one think he's suddenly going to run over here and start doing gratuitous squats before you?'
That's when I understood that our modern-day attitudes towards nudity are still grossly misinformed by Victorian and Puritan influences; sways which unequivocally equate nudity with sex, shame, deviance and a distinct lack of "decency." Really, North Americans suffer from more body dread issues than the average David Cronenberg movie.
Then, in 2007, I visited a friend in Vancouver. To test the waters again I requested him to take me to that world-famed naturist Mecca, Wreck Beach. He immediately responded quite violently to my request:
Oh, no! Trust me, you do not wanna go there. Not the type of people you wanna see naked, ifyouknowwhutI'msayin'."
How can I explain this to him? I do not wanna see other people naked, I wanna be naked. I wanna be entirely immersed in the components minus the burden of a wet, cold, clingy swimsuit. I do not want any obstacles between me, the surf, the sand and the sun. I just wanna commune with Mama Nature in the only method that makes sense in my experience.'
But given his palpable hostility I immediately lost the subject and moved on. * Strike two*
Even though my ideas were getting more daring, I was still an extended way from taking the plunge into nudism myself. While camping at a nearby provincial park, I Had sometimes swim out into deep water, whip off my swim trunks, bob around for a little bit, and then put my shorts back on before heading back to land. Silently I desired nothing more than to wade from the water naked and wander along the plage in comfort, all the while taking care of my all-over George Hamilton-style suntan.
Baby steps, I understand, but it felt amazing and it just made sense in my experience.
But it'd require a few more pivotal encounters before I became a full fledged, card-taking naturist. And the impetus for this would come from a wholly unexpected source.
About the author: Wayne Brake is a naturist writer and activist. You can check out his naturist-friendly web log 'In NatureNaturally' right here: http://innaturenaturally.tumblr.com.
Young Naturists & Nudists America
Tags: body image, body shame, naked beach, sexuality
Classification: Naturism and Naturism, Nudist Website, Social Nudity Sites
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Guest blogs written alone for Naturist Portal.