What could we possibly have to offer?

As defined by Wikipedia, Naturism, or nudism, is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating, and defending personal and social nudity, most but not all of which takes place on private property. The term may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family, or social nudism.^[1] Naturism may take a number of forms. It may be practiced individually, within a family, socially, or in public. Additionally, there is also militant naturism, including campaigning, and extreme naturism is sometimes considered a separate category.^[2]

                                    

Hmm, Well that's interesting. Is it entirely accurate? Eh, so, so. As a nudist, what do we have to offer the textile world? I often wonder, do we really have any legit things TO offer? After years of living and adopting a nudist lifestyle, and having become more mainstream with my nudism among friends and others, I have come to the conclusion that, we most definitely have very viable, pertinent things to offer. What could they be, you might ask. Glad that crossed your mind too!

1. Unfiltered, no masks friendships

2. The ability so SEE people for who they are on the inside.

3. Taking away stigmas put in place by society about our sizes and shapes.

4.Being able to be you without the worry of what other may think, say, or do.

5. Uniting men together with their nude selves, not having to compare or compete.

6. Having that same relationship between women who can often be caddy and mean to one another.

7. Leading by example, showing our children and the younger generation that the human body

is a beautiful creation and is not shameful or directly associated with sex and lewdness.

8. Nudists can unite ages, from old to young, providing common ground in ways other means cannot.

9. It's healthy!! Proven facts from doctors and scientists conclude that being clothes free helps with bacteria, vitamin D, overall mental health.

10. It is fun, convenient and just feels "right."

Granted, the mainstream world is not ready for a global nudist movement. Part of me wishes it was but then part of me sees problems with that at this juncture in time. For those of us who love, enjoy, promote and encourage a nudist lifestyle, we can heartily agree, there is no better way to live. To those who are yet on board or who think we are all a bunch of wackos, well it's gonna take continued tolerance. In our lifetime, it is not likely that nudism will become widely accepted and come to fruition. And that's okay. However, should we just be content to hide behind walls, or doors, or fences and just mind or own P's and Q's?  Eh, I'd like to think, not so much. Sure, we don't need to become a menace to anyone, but voicing our beliefs, sharing the benefits, and what we Do have to offer, those are all good things.

Uniting peoples from all walks of life, white collar, blue collar workers, different races, religions, how is that ever a bad thing? I see nudism as a wonderfully powerful vehicle to do just that. The great question we need to strive to find an answer to is how to make the media, Hollywood, politicians, local governments, and citizens, CRAVE and DESIRE that unification so much, that they will accept nudism as a way to do it. BINGO!! Now that is a game plan if I've ever heard one.

How can we go about such a venture? Well, by sharing posts on social media, broadcasting the sites and groups you are a part of, showing others who may not be on board yet, talking to people, educating them about nudism, working within your local community whether it be through volunteer organizations, food pantries, local nudist group activities that may do outreach projects, contacting local govt officials at town hall meetings, proposing and petitioning for nude or clothing optional parks or beaches. The list is limitless. Sitting idly by and just wishing and talking about it will not bring about the great change that is needed. 

You may be new to nudism, or still feeling your way about letting everyone know, I totally get that, but try and find those opportunities to share with someone about the joy and awesomeness of our lifestyle. There's freedom in freedom!  Go enjoy your day, your evening or your night and remember, our bodies are a gift and we were born nude, so why not use 'em per the directions!!

It's Private

There is more to our bodies than our face, our arms, our legs, our elbows, hands and feet. We all have  what are commonly referred to as "private" parts. Even as a seasoned nudist, I know for me, I haven't really LOOKED at that part of me in a long time. It's just kind of there.

I love art. I also love tasteful art that represents the human form. Whether it's sculpture, paintings or even photography, I think that the entire human body is simply one of the most amazing creations that has even been crafted. So many wonderful creative captures and projects exist that beautifully promote and praise the body. What often gets taken advantage of in a negative way, is objectifying and mis-purposing our private parts. Far too many artists, photographers and others will focus their work on genitals, breasts or even buttocks with the sole intent of arousing and making them sexualized. THAT infuriates me!

NUDE IS NOT LEWD

We've all heard that phrase I'm pretty sure, right? It is so so true! There should be no difference between identifying a smile from a scrotum. Either or any parts of us are glorious and we should not ignore them. Before you throw me under the bus, let me explain. As nudists, we must maintain a wholesome non sexualized presentation publically. What is done behind closed doors is each person's own business, but to those who are seeing us, analyzing your lifestyle, we must uphold the innocence and wholesome nature that truly is Nudism. 

As I said, I enjoy and appreciate well done media of the entire human form. As nudists, I don't think most people on the "outside" would understand if we shared posts focusing on our genitalia. For most of us, we would probably just see it as another part of us and would appreciate the diversity between us. BUT, refraining from those types of shares is the best decision. 

Now, even though we won't make those posts, it does not negate the fact that we have genitalia now does it? So let me ask u this. When is the last time you actually took a little time, maybe in front of the mirror and just Looked at yourself, admired the uniqueness of your bits? Have you even thought about how special you are with the shape of things, the size of breasts, penis, buttocks, whatever? Have you ever been just thankful? I have Jewish guy friends who are uncircumcised. Most of them are very self conscious compared to their western counterparts. Their relationships and love lives have suffered all because they have not accepted the parts they have and why. I've had a couple friends over the years who were little people. They were pretty confident people on the outside, but inwardly, very shy and fearful of being themselves.

Should they be any different? I say a big NO. The nudist mindset it all about acceptance. All sizes, shapes are equal and welcome. That includes the sizes and shapes of our "private parts." My challenge to you with this blog post is this: Look at yourself. Take a gander, Take it all in, your curves, wrinkles, bumps, dimples, differences and just say, "hey this is me! PART of the WHOLE me!" Whether you ever share any of that with anyone in an artsy way is up to you, but the point is, you are not ignoring those parts of the whole you. 

I have so many friends who have those tan lines from bathing suits. Many of the ladies actually have non tanned areas so small they would fit in the palm of my hand. So I often ask, what is REALLY the point? You claim, "Modesty" but modesty comes from your behavior, and not from having a one inch wide patch of fabric over something. Anyway, even our textiles friends have their bits. And yep, they need to learn to explore and consider those parts as part of the WHOLE person as well. 

In the meantime, Go enjoy your day, your week. Whatever u do, be grateful, be thankful and try and just enjoy the fact there's breath in your lungs today! 

Naked with My Best Friend?? No Way!

Yep, I brought up THAT topic! A lot of us may be nudist but have yet to either show our full true selves to our best friends, or maybe haven't even seen them at all, ever either. I have a couple buddies I have known for a LONG long time. I'm talking since 9th grade, people, and even though one of them in particular I'm really close with, he's stayed with me, we've been on trips and outings together, been through pretty much everything together, neither of us have seen each other naked! Crazy right? So what's really the big deal? Well, let's talk about it and see.

Whether you are a nudist or not, we all have those times when we all go out of our way to keep our bodies hidden from certain people. Why the heck do we do that? Okay, for me personally, not that my mom would really have a coronary and die from seeing every inch of me, but it wouldn't thrill her either, so out of respect I don't run around in a fully comfortable state when I'm with her. Back to best friends. Now, I am obviously a guy so I can't fully speak for the women folk but I have had females friends and roommates and think I have a decent idea that for the most part, gals are more open to being naked with each other than guys are. Unless you are playing sports and showering after games with your bros, there aren't things like sleepovers where guys do makeovers, and do each other's hair and try on clothes. Okay, maybe some do,  but not usually. HA! Maybe more guys Should do things like that actually. Hmm. Anyway, women seem to be a lot more free about sharing their boobs and butts with each other. That's not always the case, but it does seem to happen a lot more often. If you've read my other blog posts, you well know I am all about accepting your body as it is and having to shame or fear. Own what you've got! So why the trepidation to let you bestie see you naked??  I think for me, one reason is, I don't really have a best buddy here locally at this time in my life. My buddies live elsewhere. The few I do have here, well, we are more acquaintances at this point because our friendships are still very young. 

Would I have a problem being nude in front of any of them? Not at all. Would some or most of them freak out a bit? More than likely, yes. And that's not because they think a naked body is shameful or that I'm hideous, but it's just not their thing and they don't have the lifestyle beliefs that I have. Yet! 

Over the years, I have not had much interaction with a lot of my cousins, due to great distances between us geographically. However, a couple of them, I have really connected with on pretty deep levels thanks to social media. One in particular was going through a really tough time a couple years back with her husband. He was ignoring her, paying her no attention. Refused to be intimate with her. She had zero self confidence, always saw herself as the ugly duckling and so on. I made it a mission to encourage her as I do with most anyone I meet who thinks similarly, and that is that YOU are perfect just the way you are! Be confident in yourself, embracing the body you have, loving you for you. After a couple of months of encouraging, boosting her confidence, one day she asked me something. She sent me a photo of herself and asked, "what is wrong with me?" My reply to her again, was, "absolutely nothing."  Now I did not need to see her nude to know she is perfectly fine as she is, but for her, she needed that affirmation. So yea, for some people, I can understand there are those issues that can hinder being comfortable and confident with your own self. 

What are best friends? Best friends are those persons with whom you can share anything and they will not judge you, put you down, but who will also kick your butt and tell you like it is, not sugar coating things Just to make you feel good. They are the most loyal and straight up people out there. The things best friends share are priceless. There are secrets you each hold about one another, stories of things you have been through together, times of trials and of victory. Best friends, Real best friends are among the greatest of all gifts. These are people you will drink from the same Coke with, eat the same burger with. Wear each others clothes, shoes, shoot, even share a toothbrush if you have to. 

Let me ask you guys, how many of your best closest friends have you been nude with? What was the situation? How did it go? Did either of you feel awkward during or after? Did it change anything between you? I think these are all valid questions and honestly, I would Love to hear your stories and experiences. Now, to MY best friends, and there are some of both genders, To those who have not had this experience with me yet, fair warning, it's coming! Next time we see each other, if there's a way, it's gonna happen, and I hope you'll join me. Even if it's just once. There is something intimate about becoming vulnerable that deepens friendships and relationships. Yes it is just skin and yes there is nothing magical or sexual about it, but for some strange reason in the society we have had to grow up in, maybe being taboo, it does make for a special bond. 

So, the next time you are with your buddy, or your gal pal and you're shopping, trying on outfits, or cleaning up after playing football, don't stress about keeping your bits all under wraps. Let em loose! It really is no big deal. After all, a real friend should accept you for you, and that includes all of you, right?? 

I wanted to share these two links because I think they are pretty great. One is of a couple women who are best friends and shows them being naked together for the very first time. The other is a couple of guys doing the same. The reactions are priceless.  I really hope that after seeing these video clips of real people in real situations, your mind will be eased and maybe that door will be opened. There is nothing better than deepening a legit friendship. And besides, you never know, you may end up with a new nudist buddy on your hands! How cool would that be!!

 https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=naked+with+friends+for+first+time&&view=detail&mid=CD9AA4F55DF475DDB48FCD9AA4F55DF475DDB48F&&FORM=VRDGAR

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=naked+with+friends+for+first+time&&view=detail&mid=2BC9A5C58F80115F5E692BC9A5C58F80115F5E69&&FORM=VDRVRV

To wrap this up, whether you can bring this topic up in person, in an email, txt or a chat message, have that conversation. Don't be afraid to talk about anything. These are your BEST friends, and best friends can literally talk about everything!  Be well this week, take care of yourself and others and enjoy some time naked!! You'll feel much better for it!