Nudity’s Positive Contributions to Health and Well-being, Friendship, and Life in General

I love interacting with all types of nudists all over the world.  I particularly like “mentoring” and encouraging young people who are exploring the lifestyle and all it means.  That often includes helping them to “unlearn” the shame with which they were raised about their bodies and their natural functions.  But such interactions also provide me with constant reminders of the freedom, comfort, and positive contributions that nudism, fellow nudists, and living a naked life, indoors and out, makes to my life.

Health and Well-being:
After hating to wear clothes since I was about 12 years old, and then starting to live as a nudist when I moved away to college 36 years ago, I almost take for granted the positive role that nude time plays in taking care of me, including my own mental health.  After so many years of living nude, always naked at home, it has gotten so that I can’t fully relax until I can strip away the crap of the day along with the textiles, take a deep breath and let every cell in my body enjoy that breath and exposure to fresh air!  My daily haunting of a number of nudist websites and blogs allows me to talk with nudists all over the world which also contributes to my mental health and relaxation.  It is through being able to be “naked” emotionally as well as physically that helps me deal with stress, keep my sanity, and relax into a happy life!  But it also wakes me out of my naked revelry sometimes hearing from others.

I recently got a message from a buddy of mine.  We’ve had many conversations over the years about my nude lifestyle, and we’ve hung out naked a few times together.  He’s a very nice guy, true “genuine nudist” personality, though I don’t know that he’s actually and publicly adopted the lifestyle.  He’s also got a job with a fast-growing web-design firm that is growing faster than they are able to keep up.  His stress level sometimes pushes his limits, and we had not gotten much of a chance to talk for a while.  Through a quick online interchange a couple of months ago, he confessed his high stress level and that the stress was affecting his physical health as well with stress related digestive disorders, headaches, and other issues.  Just before that “quickie” conversation ended, I told him to make time to get naked and enjoy the summer!  Last week, I received one quick message from him that spoke volumes to me.  It said simply, “Thanks for helping me learn that I can find peace in getting naked outdoors regularly -- it's made a huge difference!”  At that point, I felt joyous for him, but also was powerfully reminded how important that time is to me as well.

Friendship:
I love making friends with nudists….true nudists who really “get” the elements of the lifestyle….body acceptance, the beauty of humanity, genuineness and being real, joyfulness and freedom.  When people have asked me what I like about the lifestyle, the first thing I say is that more than 99% of the real nudists I’ve met are down-to-earth, genuine, easy to get to know people….and are the type of people that I value for real friendship, not just acquaintances.  They usually agree, and some will chuckle that it’s hard to put up pretenses or be dishonest with your dick hanging out!  How true!! 

In today’s world, people’s lives are crazy, and we all have so many things pulling at our time and energy.  All relationships require work and nurturing, including those friendships that are forged in nudism and a shared life perspective.  But I’ve also noticed that even for those nudist friendships that may experience periods of inactivity, it takes very little to re-spark the fondness, trust and enjoyment that two people can find in each other.  I recently reconnected with a nudist friend that I met online years ago.  We hadn’t chatted for a couple of years, but one of us recently found an email from the other, so reached out to reconnect.  During that initial conversation, I shared my observation that I just shared above.  His response really struck a chord with me, “I think nudity brings and keeps people together - mostly because it keeps people honest.”  Again, one simple sentence did such a beautiful job of summing up my feelings, and the one of the primary reasons that I’m so committed to the nudist lifestyle!!

Life
One lament from all of my aging friends, nudist and textile alike, is that as we get older, time goes by so very quickly.  Years blur into each other, seasons fly by in what seems like a few breaths.  And more and more, simple occurrences in life bring on a sense of reflection and inquiry.  I see some friends wrestling with health issues, sadness and loss, growing burdens, and even a sense of hopelessness. For me, and I will only speak for myself, one of the constant themes in my reflections is the sense of happiness, joyfulness, and freedom in my life.  And I attribute so much of that to my nudist life.  I certainly have challenges, disappointments and sorrows like everyone else, but the pure elation that I feel when  the sun hits my bare ass, or the breeze tickles my testicles does so much for helping me maintain a positive attitude.  How can one NOT be moved to at least a smile and a sigh of satisfaction when those clothes come off after a day at work?  Philosophers, physicians, psychiatrists, friends and family all say that attitude makes all the difference in the world.  My nudity surely does influence my attitude toward the optimistic.  Being able to share that with others fuels that fire.  My husband and partner, a non-nudist, asks me often why I spend so much time on nudist websites and chatting. I tell him that besides the aesthetic beauty of the human body (okay, yeah, I love the pictures like everyone else does!), I enjoy chatting with other people.  Truly, all of my nudist friends…online and in person, nurture my soul, make my daily life joyful, and keep me honest and hopeful!  THANK YOU ALL!! 

Now reach out and share with another nudist, or convert a textile!!

 

The grandeur, sadness and nobility of man

I had the honor of being a part of a temporary community of men this past weekend. This group of men came together for a program of awareness, healing and intimacy. Men in this community ranged in age from men in their 20s to men in the late 60s and 70s, men from all walks of life and varying backgrounds. For me, it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride, both with regards to myself and my own issues as well as for men in general. I think the thing that stood out the most for me is the myriad of thoughts, feelings and experiences that we all go through on our journey to be human, and more specifically to be men.

Over the weekend, I was honored to see so many miracles, so many instances of raw beauty, and instances of joy and ecstasy, pain and sorrow. I witnessed a distinguished older gentleman who truly felt the surge of erotic energy course through his entire body for the first time in many, many years, if he’d ever experienced anything like it ever in his life. I held him in my arms as he shook, and wept, and celebrated and prayed in thanksgiving and raw elation. I was the honored spectator for men who found such joy and happiness that their bodies shook with delight and the howled with glee. I observed men who scraped off the scabs of wounds that were deep into their souls, wounds that had festered and infected for years. In an instance, I saw men who laughed and danced for joy and at nearly the same instance, others who cried out in anguish and whose bodies shook with uncontrolled weeping.

Each and every one of these instances brought me to tears…some of happiness, some of sorrow, all of admiration and respect. As a number of men came up to me to comfort me, they asked why I looked so sad. After much thought, I responded that I found it profoundly sad that we as men are socialized to not feel, or at the very least to limit our spectrum of feelings. How is it that a presumably advanced society produces men that have so many boundaries and blockages built up that we can’t even feel our own natural erotic energies? How is it that we are conditioned to be so stoic and steadfast as to deny such powerful emotions? Why is it that our society’s definition of strength denies men the ability to be demonstrative of the very emotions, thoughts and feelings that make us human?

I looked back at these men who were so compassionately holding me, and through my tears I said that I found it overpoweringly heart wrenching that for us to find and openly express these emotions, both of ecstasy and grief, that we had to seek out contrived community experiences. Having to search out such safe places just to be human seemed so cruel.

Each and every one of these men has lived through trials and tribulations. And even the negative, most difficult of those, I celebrate as they are what made these men the awesome, inspiring creatures that they are, and had brought them to that exact spot at that exact time to serve up unequivocally the unconditional love, nurturing and support that we all crave as humans. These challenges had forged them into men of strength, of character, and of unspeakable generosity who could finally express that for themselves and for the others in our community. Looking deep into the eyes and soul of every one off these men allowed me to see and feel their distress and their jubilation. It was a most beautiful and profound experience, and if any of them read this, I will be forever moved by who you are….in that moment and on our planet.

Each of these men represent millions of others, most of whom have not had the benefit of such a community experience, however brief. Let all of us as men who have that unique understanding of each other’s experiences reach out to those men around us, if only for a second, to offer that sense of understanding, support and honoring. We are all truly amazing creatures.

Life in the Big Easy Isn't

Life in The Big Easy Isn’t

(Originally posted March 2007)
Last week, I had the opportunity to go to New Orleans on business. I have a couple of friends and a number of acquaintances in New Orleans so looked forward to the trip. I have always loved the vitality and personality of the city, the very unique mix of cultures, the food and festive atmosphere, and the beautiful architecture in the various parts of the city. Through brief conversations with these folks and ongoing news reports, I knew that Katrina had taken a toll on the city, but even now, 15 months later, I was not prepared to see what I did.
In the downtown area and throughout the historic French Quarter, it seemed that only about 65-70% of the businesses were open. There are some major hotels and restaurants there are just now opening—the Ritz-Carlton scheduled today to open it’s doors for the first time since the hurricane hit. The numbers of people I’m used to seeing in the streets, even in non-Mardi Gras season was just a fraction of what it is normally.
My friends then took me out driving to many areas with which I was familiar. As we drove through what had been long-established neighborhoods, I couldn’t hold back my tears. There were entire areas where there used to be a vibrant, thriving business and thousands of homes, and now the only sign that anything had ever been there was an occasional concrete slab, or a few pipes sticking up. Every tree, shrub and blade of grass was dead—not even weeds growing. Other neighborhoods were still wet, boats sticking out of homes. Mountains of trash where people are still just now returning to try to clean out what is left of their lives, watching the debris being picked up by bulldozers, loaded into trucks and hauled away. I saw house after house after house still with the waterlines on them (many on what roof shingles remained) and the spray paint markings on the doors left by Red Cross workers searching for survivors and leaving records of bodies found. Driving through most of these areas, I would see one house where someone had come back, cleaned up and was beginning to build a life again and the next occupied domicile being three blocks away, nothing but ruins in between. More often than not, the large parking lots or parcels of open land all over the area were covered with acre after acre of FEMA trailers, looking more like a sterile trailer dealership than any semblance of neighborhood or home. Throughout the city, roof after roof is still covered with blue plastic tarps trying to just keep the rain out. AND THIS IS FIFTEEN MONTHS LATER.
In talking with my friends through this, I heard tales of uninsured/under insured homeowners, instances where bad advice had been given out time and again, stories of people in distress being taken advantage of at nearly every turn. News reports that they estimated that even now, only about 40% of the former inhabitants of New Orleans and the area had returned. Considering that many federal financing programs are based on population numbers returning, that only made the story that much sadder. It only drove home the level of devastation laid forth by the hand of Mother Nature. I realize that it takes along time to recover, but it will truly be decades before anything resembling normal life will return to the majority of the Big Easy.
Every “native” I spoke to there, whether they were hotel staff, waitresses or bartenders, or friends and acquaintances, graciously thanked me and the professional association of which I am a part for coming back, saying that anyone coming down there and spending any money they could was accomplishing more and contributing more to the moral and rebuilding of New Orleans than anything the government has done to date. Tourism is a huge part of life in that city, and conventions, tours, and vacationers are still cancelling and going elsewhere. Many businesses, including hospitals, etc. are not even looking at rebuilding or opening, saying that there is not enough of a population or a tourism business to make it worth the efforts. Most of those I spoke with don’t want hand outs, but they do want people to come back, party and revel as they had before, and help the economy and the moral.
If anyone reads this, consider going to New Orleans on vacation. Do what you can to direct groups and professional associations to have their meetings there. There were still plenty of good hotels, restaurants, bars, and “happenings” going on that a great time could be had. And finally, please spend sometime in reflection to whatever greater power in which you believe about New Orleans. This jewel of a city and the rich culture that it represents is truly one of our national treasures, not to mention a culinary jewel and a great party spot.

At this time of Thanksgiving

At this time of Thanksgiving......  

Though in many ways, this has been a very tough year, I am thankful for so many things in my life: health, family and friends, a good career. Among these things I find you. With some of you I have had some amazing conversations, and with others I haven't had that privilege yet. Either way, we've somehow touched each other in positive ways or we wouldn't be connected here. Thank you for making a positive difference in my life this year!

I wish for you, your family and friends a most wonderful holiday season, one in which you enjoy the warmth and love of those around us, one in which we all take just a moment to recognize the blessings and advantages that we have in our lives, and one in which we all reach out to make a difference in someone else' life.

For whatever your spirituality, I wish for you a Happy Thanksgiving, health and happiness through this holiday season and the coming year.

*hugs*

Scott

Update and about male connections.....

update and about male connections.....

I realize that it's been quite a while since I added to my blog, had a few minutes so thought I would finally get to it.

Summer is here with a vengeance---humidity, heat, etc. I don't mind the heat but the humidity, to me, makes it much tougher to deal with. I have so far gotten out twice for some clothing optional camping, and one nude hike, and I'm heading out camping again this weekend.

I've also had the opportunity through various means to "meet" online and chat with several new male friends, some gay, some bi or straight and married, but all who have that same longing for a meaningful friendship and connection with another male. It never ceases to amaze me what great guys are out there, and yet how lonely and disconnected so many of us feel. I wonder if it is that with societal norms, as men we put so much into our jobs/careers, relationships, and, for many, children/families that we forget to take care of ourselves and our needs until such a point that we take that one moment to stop, look around ourselves and realize that we are out floating alone in that vast sea of people. It's not that we don't get a great deal of love and support from our spouses/partners, our children, even to a certain extent those with whom we work. But there are things that as men we want to be able to talk about, receive affirmation on, and to build some sort of friendship with other men that goes deeper than a wave across the back fence, or a nod to another in the gym. It's so great when you can really find one or two guys with whom you can just totally relax, not measure your words, not feel like there is a competition or that we need to work to live up to. As spouses and fathers, and as workers, we are so often put in a position of having to make decisions knowing that others we love and care about, or our livelihoods will be effected. When do we get to just totally relax without potential of impact on relationships or work? No wonder that men have such a high rate of stress related illnesses, many health problems and die earlier.

Take the time to just reach out and take one step further than that a wave across the back fence, or a nod to someone in the gym. Really mean it when you ask "how's it going?" Offer to help someone or really listen. Beginning to take small steps in making a real connection with other men can help us all heal!!

Nudist/Naturist Orientation

Nudist/Naturist Orientation

Ever wonder how we get our nudist/naturist orientation?

At least for me, it is an orientation like a sexual orientation--my nudism (and the accompanying aversion to clothes) been ingrained and natural within me since I was a young kid. I know that some learn their interest in nudism, or discover the freedom of nudity. I know from many others that I have talked with, nudism is as innate to them as their eye color or likes/dislikes of food.

So for those of us that it is just a natural part of us, how does it come about? I know that I was raised to believe that the human body is beautiful and amazing, but that message also came with a clear message of modesty, and nudity wasn't very common in my house. Yet at about age 11, I made a clear determination that I hated clothes. I'd be naked every chance I got. I'd go play in the woods and stash my clothes under a log to romp and play gleefully naked. At 11, I didn't know there was any such thing as nudists, naturists, or others who enjoyed a free lifestyle like that.

So what brings that about? I'd be interested in hearing how others came into nudism or naturism. How old were you when it first started? Were you introduced to it by someone? Had you seen others enjoying life nude? If you are reading this, share with me!!

About Massage and Honoring Another

About Massage and Honoring Another

I love giving and receiving massage. I believe that it is truly a wonderful gift that one can bestow on another. It is (or at least should be) a direct physical and emotional connection between two or more people, a connection that is not at all like any other connection. I prefer that both parties be nude (not a surprise for anyone who knows me) for I think that creates a much more open, trusting and profound connection between masseur and the massaged. It is the sharing and giving of energy from one to another.

In this same vein, I truly believe that one of the most wonderful and intimate ways to honor another is to bathe and massage them--truly paying homage to the temple that embodies their physical, emotional and spiritual selves. In a world that is so disconnected, what could be more beautiful?