I admit it

Happy November! Fall is showing her face now and then and that makes me So happy. I love summer but the humidity and heat here in Florida can really take a toll on you. 

Alright. Let me get right to it. I ADMIT IT!  What on earth am I admitting to now? Ha, good question. I am not one to admit to a whole lot, especially if it involves me making a poor decision, not handling something well or what not. But, in this case, I'm admitting because I think it's for a good cause and purpose.  

How often do we as nudists so long to bring friends and family over to "our" side that we tend to push a bit too much? I know I am guilty. This year I made the decision to be much more vocal in my admittance of being a nudist. Those who know me locally know little about my depth of love for nudism. They know enough to call me insane, crazy and just plain nuts. There may be some truth to those labels but NOT because I am a nudist.

to bring over from one belief, view, or party to another They tried to convert us to their way of thinking.

to exchange for an equivalent 

I hate the word convert. For me, that word is such a demanding and arrogant word. Sway or convince seems much more palatable.  In my quest to expand the awareness among those I know, I have used the social media platforms much more often. Facebook we all know frowns on most everything nudist relater. Twitter is pretty darn tolerant surprisingly, and Instagram, well, they are mediocre I'll say. 

Here is the game plan I've been trying to use.

Facebook: I will make more posts that jokingly allude to things like skinny dipping, no tan lines, comments about going to the lake which is actually Hidden Lake here, our local nudist spot. I also have some nudist friends that I have added on FB and will comment on their posts more often. There are a few in my friend garage that have caught on. Some have messaged me asking, "so you're a nudist? Why?' Open door!!  A few others like my friend, we'll call her Sally, she may comment on my posts and others with some comical reply that points to my lifestyle. I think it's cute and clever. She is definitely not a participant and likely never would be, but she does accept me for who I am.

Twitter: I have only a few follows there, mostly people from high school. These are people who I either haven't seen in decades or have seen just a time or two since. The first time I posted my naked butt, man did I get quite the reactions!  But all but one has stuck around. I've also shared articles on Twitter about nudism, the wholesomeness of it and all of my followers there are supportive and accepting that hey that's just how Gregory is. I love that! I have since posted full frontal nude shots and for the most part, all are supportive.

Instagram: This is a bit more complex. I have friends on there who I know personally, have spent a lot of time with over the years, and others whom I've met through social media, a few high school friends and also two cousins as well as nudist friends from my mewe groups and others. The initial approach on Instagram was to ease everyone into the idea of me being bare and okay with that. I believe my first shot at that was a photo of my lying on the beach sans clothes with a couple of textile volleyball players in the background. Sure, you saw my bare butt but other than that, nothing too shocking. My friend Sally was the first to comment, something along the lines, "you are too crazy!" I think I commented back, "Don't knock it til you try it."  My high school people didn't say a whole lot BUT all but 2 stayed with me. As time went on, I would post things about nudism, being clothes free, body acceptance. More and more likes started to come in. Since then, having added more nudist friends, MY people have really stepped up. Got message just the other day from guy I went to school with and he said I was very brave and he loved my posts. I have just in the past month or so shared photos with my um, bat and balls blurred. Great responses. I seldom get comments or likes from all my people, but I do know they are seeing my posts and choose to stick around. That gives me hope. 

Mewe: (which is my favorite by the way)  Mewe is a very open format. They do not censor, police your posts, send the posting police running after you and they do not farm out your information to advertisers or own your content. Excellent!  So on Mewe, I do not have but maybe two local friends on there at this point. Trying to get people to either come over to mewe from Facebook or at least make an account there has not been successful, YET! On Mewe.com I have a couple of nudist groups that I have had for a couple of years. In fact one of my groups was the very first nudist group ON mewe. Since there have been a lot of groups that have followed suit. Now, on that social media, I can honestly and openly share whatever I like about nudism, my lifestyle, my daily activities and outings. It is fantastic! The interactions available are unparalleled in my book. The friends I have there are all nudist minded with the exception of one, maybe two persons. I promote mewe as often as I can without getting dinged by the FB police. The beauty there lies in the fact I can be who I am, as I am and everyone is cool with it. 

Now as far as the rest of social media or face to face encounters, I may not come right out and say, "Hey bob! Good to see you, oh by the way, I'm a nudist!" If I see an open door, sure I'll go through it boldly and proudly. I was brought up in a very conservative home and nudeness wasn't frowned upon but it darn sure wasn't endorsed either. I remember at around age 12 I got the urge to go sit in the sun nude. I told my mom I was gonna go outside. She came out a little while later, took a gander at me all sprawled out and pretty much just said, "You enjoying yourself?'  I sure was! I think at that point is when I really realized how amazing my body out in nature and the sun really was. It wasn't until after college when I got my first place that I was able to really enjoy time sunning and sitting out on my back deck.  That's not a bad thing, however, I think I would've loved much more if I had grown up as a nudist. 

My advice is this and it's simple. I think we can judge fairly well who among our friends and family will be open minded enough to not run for the hills if you tell them you are a nudist. Then there are others we automatically know will have a holy hell fit. There are those on the fence as well. Being familiar enough with your circle is the key. For those who aren't nudist or may seem to be more straight laced, drop hints in conversations. On a hot day out with them at the beach or river, say something about skinny dipping for example. It may get just a laugh or even an Are you serious?  Both are acceptable responses. You have opened the door. 

To the ones more open minded, extend an invitation to go to a resort or somewhere with you where you know you can be nude and they won't object. They may even join in! I have seen that happen. 

For a lot of people unfortunately, there is body shame, low self esteem and their own lack of acceptance of their body. For men this happens but way more so for women. To overcome that, gently remind these persons that nearly everything they see in magazines or film or tv, has been doctored, photoshopped and made to look amazing. THIS IS NOT REALITY!  Encourage them, compliment, be supportive but do not push! Forcing nudism on anyone even as a playful act will cause so much damage. My ex had a lot of self esteem issues, still does somewhat. But, doing as I have suggested worked with her. She now rarely is dressed and loves it. She isn't one who will be around a crowd and really enjoy it but she has. 

If you look for those open doors, offer opportunities, encourage, educate and inform people whether they be friends, family or perfect strangers, differences can be made. True, none of your people in your circle may even lose their clothes even for a day, let alone come over to our side. That's okay. Having them accept us as we are, respect us, that is paramount. To those who abandon us and leave the fold, that's okay too. Some people are so deeply set it their ways and have been brainwashed by the media, religious beliefs etc. that they will never realize the wholesome joy of nudism. Let them be. They know where you are and who you are. The ones who truly love you, will one day fully accept you. My people have and I am so so thankful.

No matter what you do, just be you. People always appreciate real people who do not hide behind masks and pretend just to satisfy another person or group. Be true to you!  As you head out tomorrow, hold your head high and be confident in your nudist lifestyle. There's not a better way to be.