I'm Happiest Dressed In My Birthday Suit
I am a nudist. I am not a naturist. I am not awestruck when I see a green mountain range or a waterfall or a babbling brook—whatever that is. I love to look at tall glass buildings. I like to look at magnificent bridges. I was born in Manhattan, and when I moved to Queens, which is one of the boroughs of New York City, I was amazed that it had trees!
I grew up with lustful images of Sophia Loren and Jane Russell—though I also liked Mitzi Gaynor. I used to watch Dagmar on TV and thought if I stood close to the TV I could see down her cleavage. In the 1960s and '70s, I would fantasize about women in their bikinis at the beach.
Then, in 1999, I made my first visit to a clothing-optional beach in New Jersey. When I realized where I was, I tried to maintain my poise. My buddy said that he had never been there either, so this was a first for him too. We took off our shirts, but neither of us took off our bathing suits. I felt very uncomfortable wearing a suit while mostly everyone else was nude.
But later, as I thought about my experience, I realized that the people I had seen with their clothes off were ordinary citizens such as myself and had conducted themselves in a very civil manner. I also realized that I was not at all titillated by my experience. The next week I returned, and got fully undressed, though I didn't wander too far. On subsequent visits I strolled the beach and even joined in a few games of volleyball. I later struck up conversations with some of the other beachgoers, and by the end of the summer I felt as if I had been a nudist my whole life.
I eventually joined an organization dedicated to keeping the clothing-optional beach clean and to help "police" the population. Although there are federal park rangers patrolling the area, we try to prevent them from having to come down and escort anyone off the beach. If we see someone who appears to be intoxicated, we will attempt to get him to hand over his car keys and will not return them till he has had time to sober up. If we see people not behaving, we try to persuade them to alter their behavior. If all else fails, we will notify the lifeguards, who in turn will call the rangers. However, everyone's privacy is always respected.
I also joined a group called Clothing Optional Dinners—CODinners for short. We have had several functions, including nude dinners at local restaurants, poetry reading in the nude, a nude high tea and a night at a nude comedy club (the comedians were also nude). Over the years, I have truly become a convert to the nudist lifestyle, to the point that I believe all people should join me in taking off their clothes.
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Member Comments
Posted By: brucereno @ 07/03/2008 2:14:48 PM
Comment: Nice artilcle. The most relaxing days I have each year are the few I get to visit a local "clothes free" resort for a day of sunning, swimming and running. There are bodies of every size, shape and gender around, but the real draw for me is the freedom to just enjoy being outdoors nude.....especially for a 5 or 10k run. Shoes, socks, a hat and sun lotion are all that are needed.
It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't experience outdoor social nudity...with either friends or strangers, the feeling of freedom and relaxation that quickly soaks in....even for first timers. Everyone, especially those on their first visit, find the hardest part of the day is getting dressed to go home. Some will never return, and others will find...as you did....that the total freedom, the relaxation, and the experience of meeting people without the identity of their choice of clothing...meeting only the person...unadorned...is a truly liberating event. Eveyone should try it sometime in their adult life, even if only once. But, I bet you'll find it hard to get dressed at the end of the day. Life is short.. lets have fun.
Posted By: Sarababe @ 07/01/2008 9:55:28 PM
Comment: The world is full of surprises and the secret naturist, who tends to explore country side and other areas not usually explored by 'normal' people and who also present an attractive target by being naked, tend to attract all manner of interesting creatures, many of which are intend on biting, stinging, eating and generally making life a misery for any unfortunate who passes by. Naturist looks like you and I and come from all walks of life. You will find it to be a relaxing lifestyle that is free of the daily stress we all experience. Naturist groups like naturistmingle.com are looking for people who are open minded and want to enjoy the company of others of a like mind.
Posted By: Sarababe @ 07/01/2008 9:53:38 PM
Comment: I was not born into naturism. I was brought up in a very open-minded and accepting household, and as a kid I was often given the chance to skinny dip in our neighbors' pools. At about age 5 or 6, I would find myself having "deep" conversations with my friends about why we even had to wear clothes since it felt so great to just be naked, but I never questioned an adult about it. Then at age 12 my parents bought me my first computer and I wandered upon some naturists sites. Being a horny little 12 year old, I fell into the immediate thought of nudity = sex. After looking through a few sites and reading the stories, I realized that nudity did not always equal sex, and that there were indeed others out there like me who enjoyed being clothes free, without the arousal. At age 14, I discovered that was a resort about an hour away from where I lived, and I was determined to get there. At that point, I proclaimed myself a naturist...but in the closet about it. After sending the resort a few e-mails, they replied and said I had to be 18 or accompanied by a guardian. Disappointed, I spent the next four years of my life sporadically skinny dipping in lakes and pools around the area. And then I finally turned 18, and summer was beginning. I called the local resort and told them I was coming. I drove there, signed in, and spent the entire day nude with a bunch of friendly naturists. I went swimming, hiking, spent some time in the hot tub, and then socialized for a little while. I had finally become a naturist. and met many good friends on gaynudistmeet.com; it's a cool place to meet some new and pure naturist friends...