My life as a naturist.

I am someone who enjoys the very simple pleasure of being without clothes and have done so for as long as I can remember. A commom term for this is naturism but as with all pigeon hole terms, that hides a multidle of ideas. Life in England as a naturist has not been that easy, I have had to go through a process of coming out, of facing prejudice not unlike that faced by other minorities. Naturism is very important to me, every bit as important as religion is to others. Being naked is about relaxation, being comfortable, being honest as a human being; here I am, this is how I was made. This was written mainly for myself as part of the process of coming out, a cri d'coeur, but I hope anyone reading it will find encouragement to face any similar problem they may have.

From an early age
As early as the age of about six, I have enjoyed being without clothes and did not feel that it was was odd, but of course I knew people did not do that sort of thing; they did not even talk about it. Not knowing that both my parents had met at a naturist establishment and that nudity was nothing to fear, I kept this very quiet. After all, I was the only person in the world to feel like this!

When I was young, Mum would describe the Miss World contest as the "Fat Stock Show". At first I did not understand, but I now realise she was teaching me about valuing people for what they are. Losing a race could be due to lack of effort, not winning a Fat Stock prize meant one was a substandard human being. What did this mean for the rest of us? Were we all so ugly that we must be worthless?

Sometime during my teens I saw a film called "I'm Alright Jack". This film contains a short sequence where a mixed group of naked people are seen running off into the countryside. No sex, just enjoying the sun and air. This was an enormous revelation to me, it was clear others felt the same way as I did and it was OK, there were even places where people socialised naked.

Much has been made in the past about homosexual people "coming out". In many ways, I have been through the same experience, speaking to friends, neighbours and acquaintances about my life style. But like many before, I have found to my surprise no bad reactions. Most people are encouraging although some are a little bemused. Overall the experience of coming out has lifted a large burden, the burden of secrecy. Encouraged by my wife's naturist friendly body attitude, all along I have been supported by my close family. Life is better out than in.

Dilemmas
Should I be free to be naked in the company of other people who do not choose to be naturists? What should I do when a visitor comes to my house? Of course I feel that I should be free, however, I am acutely aware of the sensitivity others show on the subject of nudity. A balance must be struck, but if I dress when they visit my house in order to suit their sensibilities, should not they undress when I visit their house, in order to suit mine? On the face of it, it seems a fair question.

Some would take it for granted that I should never be naked in the garden on the grounds that I may be seen and offend others. This is like asking a nun in her habit to be always hidden from view. Her habit is a mark of her beliefs and she would claim the right to hold those beliefs and to use her habit as her witness. To me naturism is an important and strongly held belief, similar in strength and character to many people's religious beliefs so why are the nun's beliefs treated as being more important than mine?

If one assumes nakedness means sexual intent and is therefore the cause of offence, it is the same kind of false thinking that assumes religion always causes war. Both have been associated in this manner in the past but that does not mean one equals the other. Sexual offences are committed by criminals, those with a perverted view of life, those who do not value other people's lives, beliefs or welfare. When the government passed an ill considered gun law, its only effect was to end the legitimate sport of pistol shooting. Gun crime has soared. They made the same logical mistake as those who assume naturism is sexual, i.e. "guns are used in crime, therefore, guns are bad", "sex is done naked, therefore nakedness is sexual". Dogs like chocolate, you like chocolate, therefore you are a dog. Spot the fallacy?

Should social nudity be banned on the grounds of aesthetics? Should the overweight and all men be forever forced to be naked only in the shower? This is an extremely dangerous argument. The idea that only the "beautiful people" can be naked is very close to the ideas pursued by the fascists. They considered the Aryan race were the pinnacle of the human form, all others being lesser beings. In our spin and image conscious world, many people fear their body does not look sufficiently attractive; they fear it does not measure up to the perfection demanded by the fashion industry. In the company of naturists, it is very clear that looks have nothing to do with naturism. Your body is what it is, accepting that body as it is will lead to a far happier life. Fat or thin, tall or short, it makes to difference.