Haven't been around for awhile

Ok, so at this point, I'm the only person reading this, as I haven't posted anything in awhile. Just in case you are, though, I thought I'd give you the naked update:

I just haven't been able to get naked. Lounge clothes, t-shirt/boxers, maybe, but I can't get naked. As an educator, I've been focused on the start of school, and rarely make it home before the sun goes down. In an apartment building that faces a parking lot, once it's dark, I just can't go naked without closing the blinds, and it's just not worth it.

Unfortunately, finances have kept me in a bit of a bind, so even if we wanted to go to a resort, we couldn't afford it. I have, though, started writing some stories. Let me know if you like them.

My Dog is a Nudist, Too!

We have a Shih-Tzu that my mom found a few years ago at the humane society. We swear she must have been neglected by the owner who dropped her off. She was so shy, and would hide if there was even too much noise. We bought a crate to put her in initially until she was house-trained, and she lasted one day; she had pooped all over herself (we think in protest). She still is very standoff-ish with new people and new dogs. We love her, though, and have learned to give her plenty of room and plenty of love.
My wife just can't get over that my dog is a nudist. You know you've seen the people dress up their dogs; my mother does with hers. My dog, though, will just stand there and look at you like you've gone crazy. She won't move, won't budge, won't even lie down. It bugs my wife to no end that my dog just doesn't like to wear clothes!

Simple Nudist or Creepy Guy?

NJ.com reported that a man was arrested for being naked in his hotel room. It sounds ridiculous on the surface, but the room he was in was clearly visible to anyone coming into and out of the hotel lobby, and faced a courtyard where a teen beauty pageant was being held. Part of me says it should have been no big deal, but my instinct says that this wasn't just a simple nudist.

What to do now.....

I like being naked. I don't get to do it too often, and living where I live precludes me from just going naked at home without closing the blinds. Wife and I love to go to the beach when we can, but weather and work have kept us for most of August, and in September, we can no longer enjoy it. If there was a year-round resort close to us, and I could convince her, maybe we could take a day and go.
It's not worth it for a day trip, though, and staying overnight means dealing with logistical concerns. It's not even worth it to convince my wife to go (although I wish it was).

Save Lighthouse Beach

I just heard that apparently, they are looking at closing/moving/shrinking the clothing-optional portion of Lighthouse Beach. I hope it's not true, but if it is, consider signing their petition. If they do this at Lighthouse, they may also consider it at Gunnison at some point. They are both run by the National Park Service.
Apparently, one of the reasons is due to the sexuality of the beach. It's a shame, because I don't think most of us go to check each other out and possibly look for sex, but apparently it happens. If you are thinking of taking an active part in keeping Lighthouse (and even Gunnison) open, you should consider signing the petition and then joining the Gunnison Beach message board, where there are many people openly talking about sexual activities on the beach.
Maybe you like gawking, or even thoroughly enjoying the company of your fellow man/woman. I don't think it belongs on a beach, and if you don't either, it might just be time to speak up.

What is the lifestyle about, anyway?

Transplanted Pilot made a comment:

"Too many nudists want to support anything naked as legit."

Do you really think that anything naked is legit? Or are there limits? I'll take your thoughts....

Exercise Naked

I did a little naked exercise yesterday, with my Wii Fit. It's not perfect, but it's the best I can get to naked exercising, as I don't have room for gym equipment in my house, and it's not private, so I have to close the blinds in order just to go naked.
Mostly, it was nice - not worrying about uncomfortable clothing. However, being that I'm not in good shape, feeling my flab bounce around was not the nicest feeling. At least it helps remind me why I need to keep exercising.

Health

In clothing, a person can really find it easy to hide themselves. A person can also show off the parts of their body they like. Naked, however, we can't hide anything. I've mentioned before that I'm a little on the chubby side. I'm not necessarily uncomfortable naked, as obviously I've been to 2 nude beaches, but I tend to notice that I have weight to lose.

From what I understand, part of the original nudist philosophy is the notion of living a more natural, healthy lifestyle. Correct me if I'm wrong. I certainly don't live a healthy lifestyle, as I often run to and fro and sometimes eat on-the-go. I'm coming to terms with the fact that I need to live healthier, eat healthier, and exercise more. With one life to live, I should certainly enjoy it.

I hope I don't sound vain in saying this, but next season, when I make it to the beach, I want to look better. I hope to feel better about my body, whether I wear clothes or not. It's not because I want people to look at me, but because I want to live a more healthy lifestyle.

Is there anyone out there who is with me? We can work on this together (virtually, of course). Maybe you disagree with the whole idea. Either way, I'd love your comments.

Sexting

I've noticed a lot of posts on blogs and in the news about sexting. Mostly, this seems to happen with teens and young adults (I haven't heard of any situations including anyone older than 20). Most nudists seem to side with the belief that there is nothing harmful with it.

I think the exact opposite, though. If the naked body was no big deal, these teens wouldn't care about taking pictures of themselves that highlight their nakedness. Maybe, if nudity was more common, we'd see them doing things naked. To me, that's the difference - pictures for the sake of nudity are more like exhibitionism, not nudism. The fact that guys will then send a picture of a naked girl to their friends highlight that they view a woman as a sexual object, not as a beautiful person.

If I send my wife a picture of myself naked to my wife, I obviously want her to see it, but I don't give her permission to show anyone else. If she does, without my permission, she's now violated my privacy.

Now, I can't go so far as to say that any of these kids should be labeled sex offenders. However, girls need to be taught to respect themselves better, and guys should be taught that they should treat any girl like a lady, not a pinup. While I may not agree with doing so, if guys and girls choose to share what I would perceive as intimate pictures, and keep it between themselves, then that's their business.

I plan, though, on teaching my future children that it isn't appropriate to do so until marriage. Even if I raise my children to love and respect the human form, they need to know that most people don't understand the philosophy. The world isn't a perfect place.

More Observations from a textile beach

You'll probably notice that most of my observations have been about women. I think that happens in general for a couple of reasons. First, there is little variation in what is acceptable and not acceptable for men. Plus, what is not acceptable for men can easily brand you as a pervert. Guy wears just shorts, and it's deemed acceptable. Guy wears no shorts, and well, 911 is called. Girl walks topless, no one complains (except for a couple of cops, see here and here) Secondly, due to the laws of fashion, there are more clothing options available to women than to men.

During our trip to Florida, I noticed three women in particular. The first I passed by on the street. I was walking with my wife to a local restaurant outside of the hotel, and saw a woman in what was a very nice, but see-through, top. Worn with a bra or camisole, I would have never looked twice, but it was noticeable that she was bra-less. I suppose it is the type of top you would see on a model. This wasn't the top, but it was similar in the fact that you could tell without a second glance.

The other two women I saw were both at the hotel. Both were probably middle-aged women, and I noticed on each occasion that they both were not wearing any bottoms. One woman wore just a thin top while swimming on the beach, and the other was with her family getting ready to go into her hotel room (probably from the beach/pool), and had only a bathing suit top on.

Part of me recognizes that these women are either proud of their bodies or don't care what other people think of them. I highly respect that and appreciate it. However, the other part of me wonders whether it is immodest to do so. Should we be so comfortable that we can subject others to our nakedness without caring about their opinion? If I was not a nudist, these situations would certainly make me uncomfortable, and I would think it was not appropriate for the time or place.

I still am not sure what to think yet.

Speedos are different

While down in sunny Florida, I mentioned how the next time I come, I want to be fit enough to wear Speedos. Whether I have the nerve to wear them is a different story. However, my wife thought differently. "You can't wear Speedos!"
I prompted her to explain, since we recently had a conversation about how skimpy bikinis don't belong on the beach. She said, "well, they show your, ummm, stuff....."
I did see a couple of guys wearing Speedos at the resort's beach, and I have to admit, you need to be really comfortable with yourself to wear them - more so than at Haulover. Just like a bikini, you would have to show off your "goods", and you know that people would look. Of course, there would be a difference. Right now, people would wonder why I'd ever wear one; if I slim down, people would enjoy looking (I'm banking on the fact people would want to look).
So, are speedos the same as skimpy bikinis?

"This our civilization would not permit"

From a great story about Washington, D.C. before A/C:

In its July 4 and July 28, 1901, issues, The Post reported the remarks of inventor Alexander Graham Bell on the subject of cooling off. Bell predicted a future when people could control household temperature in summer and winter alike. For summer, he suggested that a system of metal coils containing a liquefied gas was probably the best way to go.

Bell also commented in the July 4 Post about the confining Victorian-style clothes of his day: ''It would be better still to have no clothing at all, but this our civilization would not permit.''

A Sexual Standoff in the Naked City

A Sexual Standoff in the Naked City

I think this article really show the attitudes that men and women have regarding clothing. Men tend to think that women dress the way they do to show off. Women believe they are dressing for comfort or their desire to look good, and express that they don't expect or don't want the male responses they get.

This really underscores how nudity levels the playing field. When you are in a clothing-optional resort or beach, you're not trying to impress the opposite sex.

Now the article is a little much; I'm not saying it's okay to girl-watch and go home and masturbate to your visions. I'm not even saying we have a right to gawk or stare because a woman dresses sexy. However, it does give great insight into the average male's mind.

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Observations from a textile beach

As I mentioned previously, my wife and I had our sister-in-law stay with us on our quick vacation to Florida. This meant, of course, that we would not be going to Haulover. We did mention that it was there, and there were some jokes about it, but we did not mention that we had wanted to go. She did mention that she was okay with the idea, even though she thought she could never go naked herself. However, we invited her for a different reason (one I won't divulge here), and felt it was best to just stick with the resort beach.

We certainly enjoyed the beautiful turquoise water, and having the resort amenities and restaurants was definitely a plus. Should you ever find yourself in the area, I recommend eating at the Pelican, which is on the pier at the Newport Beachside in Sunny Isles Beach. Be aware that the service isn't perfect, but the view and the food were great. Get the grilled fish over salad...

The downside, though, is swimsuits. I was fine with mine the first day, but on the second, I decided to walk towards Haulover from the pier (about a mile), just for the walk. I knew I wouldn't have time to get naked, anyway. About 3/4 of the way down, my wet swimsuit was chafing my legs terribly, and I realized that I had to turn around because it was only getting worse. Being a tad chubby doesn't help. I felt that burn for the rest of the trip, every time I had a swimsuit on, and especially in the salt water.

Like last time, a couple guys had on speedos, and a couple ladies had on thongs. None went topless, but most of them would constantly change their straps so they could have their even tan. They were constantly holding everything in place with as much modesty as their tiny tops would allow.

I'll post more observations later.

New Link

I'm adding a new link to the blog - www.gunnisonbeachnj.org. I think it has some great potential, but there's a couple of things I noticed that I wasn't too sure of. I noticed some comments about exhibitionism, sex, and voyeurism, but some posters were quick to respond. I also wasn't sure about some of the pictures.
Nevertheless, I'm adding the link for now, and asking for your comments about it. I'm certainly open to changing my mind and taking it down if I feel it doesn't help our cause.

Body Decoration

Having now spent a little time at nude beaches, I'll admit that some of the views are quite interesting. I'm not talking about hot bodies, but about body decoration. I used to have the opinion that tattoos desecrated the body:

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ~ 1 Cor 6:19-20, NIV

Now, I certainly would never, EVER get a tattoo. The thought of the needles, and then the thought of living with it for the rest of my life are enough to keep me from getting them. I have noticed, though, that there were a number of people that had tattoos in places that we would never see in public, and I'll have to admit, I can't say that it's a desecration. Some of them are very beautiful.
I've also noticed people wearing body jewelry. Piercings, for one, drive me nuts (aside from the standard ear piercing, that is). To each, their own, and I don't condemn anyone for piercing themselves. I just don't understand piercing genitals, nipples, tongues, noses....
Belly bracelets were common as well. I don't know what I think about them yet. On the one hand, they certainly look nice, but I wonder if they are just meant to look nice, or to draw attention to one's body. My wife does not understand the concept at all, though. If you want to go nude, what's the point of jewelry. Maybe as my foray into nudism evolves, I'll have more mature thoughts on the subject.

I'll miss Haulover

I mentioned earlier that I had planned to go to Haulover on my visit to Miami this week. However, with my sister-in-law visiting, I'm not expecting to go. I won't go into more detail, but I think my wife and her sister will need some bonding time that's much more important than going to a nude beach. If it comes up, and we decide to go, great, but it's not a major concern.

Of course, I had to promise my wife that we'd make it there some other time before the end of the year. I'm thinking of going around Christmastime, but I don't know if it will be too cold.

Oh the bikinis....

Why do they draw my eyes in? I love my wife, and value her beauty more than anyone else, but as a man, we are all drawn to look. Some Christians say we should train ourselves not to look, and some people say we should enjoy the beauty of the human form. I find that by "enjoying viewing the female body", I start wanting to have other thoughts.
Funny how this does NOT happen on a nude beach (unless the woman is wearing swimsuits). It does happen when seeing gorgeous ladies in small pieces of clothing. I'm drawn to look, and must tell myself not to. And, when I am at a nude beach, and see the same woman take the bikini off and walk around naked, I have no need to take a second glance.

*** By the way, I'm not saying it's okay or not okay to look at a woman. You make the choice. However, for me, it's a struggle I must live with in a textile world, but not a nude one. Strange.

Diary of a Nudist has been resurrected!

For those of you who haven't read Diary of a Nudist, it's one of the blogs that really pushed me to start my own blog. it's very well written, and always kept up-to-date, which is more than I can say for many nudist websites out there. I can't say I agree with everything Nudiarist had to say, but I'm sure he might say the same about me the more I write. I respect his thoughts and opinions, though, as he has had some great ones, and always look forward to reading more.

Nudiarist, I wish you luck on your continued blogging!

More Beautiful You

I first heard this song on KLOVE a few weeks ago. How true it is that society makes us try to fit its standards, when all we need to do is take comfort in who we are in Christ. It's not really preachy, so for those of you that are not Christians, I think you'll enjoy it as well. The lyrics are as follows:

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

Chorus
There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but he's got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And he'll treat you like the jewel you are

[chorus]

So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who's strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl
[chorus]


I've also included the acoustical version, just because I like it, below:

SunnyDay

I couldn't sleep last night, so I had some fun re-reading Sunny's stories. If you've never heard of Sunny, you've missed out on the journeys of an incredible girl as she explores her inner nudist. She's now blossomed into a woman, a wife and mother, who is much more comfortable being a nudist than I will ever be.

I especially enjoy reading about how she manages to share her beliefs with her friends, and how they have come to accept her as she truly is. I also love how many of them share her lifestyle. As a fellow Christian, I only wish I could be so bold, both as a nudist and in the faith.

I don't know her personally, although I'd love to meet with her and her husband someday and hear some of these stories in person.

Problem

I've mentioned previously that my wife and I don't discuss our nudist tendencies with our families. Well, we have mentioned that we went to the county park, Haulover, when we weren't at the resort, knowing full well our family members weren't looking anything up about it. Aside from a sister-in-law that lives in Central FL, we have no other family members in Florida and definitely none that have visited Miami.
That being said, my sister-in-law wants to visit us on the day we first arrive to go beaching with us. Since we have an early flight, we originally planned to go to Haulover that day, and the resort beach the next (the resort has cabanas you can rent, which my wife likes). Now, I think she probably wouldn't care if we went to the C/O beach, but my wife disagrees. I would be more afraid that she would mention it to my in-laws, to which my wife definitely agrees.
So the question is, do we go to the resort beach, which will be more expensive since we won't be able to check in ($10/parking, poss. $10/chair or $40 cabana), or go to Haulover? And, if we go to Haulover, do we park in the middle, where she can see the C/O portion and possibly have the chance to go nude, or stay on the opposite side of the park (cheap, no questions asked)?

Response to KM

I had to respond to a great question from KM, and I felt it was important enough to put in the blog itself rather than be lost in the comments. Hope you don't mind, KM.

KM said...

Modest Nudist,

I have a quick question for you. As I told you in my earlier comment on your blog, I've been writing on another nudist forum about the problem of photography on nude beaches, and very unfortunately, no where is that problem more evident than at Gunnison. That being the case, and considering the fact that you and your wife apparently do NOT want people to know that you that you are interested in this lifestyle, does this issue not concern you? How do you deal with it?

First of all, I know that I certainly don't have the body that anyone is looking to photograph. I'm sure that it is a little different for my wife, but I've never noticed anyone with cameras out at Gunnison.
If someone was there from the media, I would certainly avoid being a part of that at all costs, which is why I am glad I never went to the World Record Skinny-Dip (although that would have been awesome to be a part of). However, 99% of the time, it is for some "nudist" website. If someone really captured a snapshot of us and someone we knew viewed it, it would obviously be someone that could not condemn our lifestyle.
Here's the big issue with me. My secrecy stems from the fact that I don't see my lifestyle being accepted by others. If I could tell everyone that I am a nudist, that I hang out naked at home, and that I go to nude beaches, I would love to. However, I don't see them accepting it. If they choose to look at nudist websites or even the porn sites that label themselves as nudists, then they have nothing by which to "condemn" me. Even if they wanted to, my first response would be to ask why they were looking at such a site to begin with.
Now, I certainly don't go around looking for someone to take my picture. I'd rather that no one took my picture to begin with, and I haven't seen any picture-takers at Gunnison to watch out for. However, if, by the rare chance, someone does snap a pic, I know how I'd respond.

Trip to Gunnison

I made it to Gunnison today. The last time I tried, there was traffic everywhere, and by the time I got there, Sandy Hook was closed. I spent 8 hours on the road, and all I did was eat at Johnny Rockets. But I digress.....

I had a great time again at the beach. I noticed a couple of things though. First of all, walking from the parking lot to the restrooms, we noticed a lady walking back to her car...naked. I give her props for doing something I'd love to be able to do. Ideally, I would love to not have to get dressed at all to go to the beach. However, knowing full well it wasn't appropriate to be nude in the parking lot, I don't really think it's right, either.
We saw a lot of younger people there today. For a weekday, that surprised us. While many of them were naked, some women had on really tiny bikinis. I just didn't get the point. Sure, you could never get away with them on most of the Jersey beaches, I didn't see how they were comfortable, or what the point was in wearing them at a nude beach. There were also quite a few men wearing speedo-like suits, but if you're not going naked, I can see wearing those instead of those baggy 5 lb. shorts.
Most importantly, I got to see jellyfish eggs for the first time. I wasn't looking forward to seeing them, but there were loads of them in the water and washing up on shore. It was a little strange, and once we noticed them, we didn't get back in the water (even though they are apparently harmless).

Next week - to Haulover!

Article: The South of France uncovered

Dierdre Morrissey, writing in an article about her first time at Cap D'Agde, notes this about getting naked:

"Never mind naturist villages, there are no nude beaches in Ireland, which keeps us all a little out of touch with our bodies. And I must admit that in an ocean of nudity one actually becomes less aware of personal body image, and begins to realise that we are all just variations of the same thing. The more nudity I saw, the more immune I became to it. What's the big deal about bums and tummies? We don't look much different to our animal friends when we're stripped of our polo shirts, Wonderbras and Spanx.

Then again, on what naturists refer to as 'textile' beaches, the suggestive nudity in bikinis and swimsuits is far sexier. When everything is laid out on a plate, there's nothing left to our most powerful sexual organ: the imagination. A guy seeing a sexy woman strutting by in a bikini could dream all day about undressing her, but when she's already naked, what's left to do"

My First Time

Someone asked the other day if I had ever been to Haulover. The answer is "YES!!" My wife and I have been looking forward to our next trip to South Florida - next week - with great anticipation, provided that the hurricanes stay away. But for now, I'll reminisce about our first trip.....

Last June, we took our first trip as a couple to Florida, courtesy of Spirit Air and their $19 flight. Being the Ultra-Low Cost Carrier that they are proud of, the whole experience was like being on a flying billboard, but I just couldn't turn down the opportunity. We managed the $19 tickets both ways, and flew to Miami, taking off from school for two much needed days of rest.

As we got on board, we looked for Row 4. I was so excited to be up front, but we couldn't find Row 4! The flight attendant told us that they took out the row to make room for their "Big Front Seats". After taking us aside for a few minutes, they told us that we could sit in two of the Big Seats, since the rest of the cabin was full.

The trip continued this way, with upgrades galore. The economy car turned out to be an SUV, the standard hotel room turned into a 2-BR suite, and even our dessert one night turned out to be the biggest pile of cotton candy you've ever seen in a margarita glass about a foot tall. Literally. People were staring at us and asking us if we were celebrating something. To top it off, the temperature was a cool 89F, and our schools up north had to close early due to the heat wave of 105F.

During the trip, I noticed in one of the guides that there was a clothing optional beach. I jokingly presented it to my wife, knowing that she'd NEVER be interested. Well, during the entire trip, the joking continued, until at some point, she mentioned that she would do it if it weren't for womanly issues. Besides, it was Florida, and far, far away from our home. We'd never run into anyone we knew.

Well, the trip was short - 3 days - and so we saved that thought for another trip. Meanwhile, we did enjoy some naked time over the summer with a couple of friends of ours (more on that later). We did, however, book a second trip to South Florida in September. While we did not get any upgrades this time around, we did discuss it. However, the discussion seemed to center on how I wanted to go, and how I keep pestering my wife (even though I fully remember her wanting to go on the last trip).

Regardless, I knew that there would be only so many opportunities to enjoy it, so I ended up bringing it up when we arrived back in Florida. Finally, she relented, after I allowed her to do a little shopping (one should not go to a nude beach unprepared, you know), and we spent our last afternoon there. There was a little nervousness as we walked under the bridge and then out to the beach, and then - WHAM! We were hit with a sea of naked people.

Once we settled, I just decided to chuck everything, to the surprise of my wife, who went topless at first. It took her a little while to remove her bottoms, though. It really was just an quiet, enjoyable day at the beach, aside from the big jellyfish we saw. One thing about skinnydipping - any thought of being stung somewhere below the belt will get you out of the water really quickly.

At the time, my wife thought it was best just to confine our newfound nudist tendencies to places like sunny Florida. What would happen if we saw someone we knew at Gunnison Beach?!?!?! That discouraged me a little, but I was glad to know that she really enjoyed Haulover.

More on Gunnison Beach in the next couple of days.

Going to the beach

Headed to Gunnison hopefully tomorrow. It depends on the weather. 40% chance of rain....

At least if I don't go, we'll be headed to Haulover in Florida soon!

Visiting a Resort

I'd love to visit a resort, but I probably won't for a good while. First of all, my loving wife really enjoys the beach. Getting naked on the beach, enjoying the salt water, enjoying the peace and serenity, getting an all-over tan - it certainly can't be beat. However, she views the idea of going to a resort much differently. I don't know why.
I've tried to convince her that she'd really enjoy it, but I don't really know what's holding her back, so I can't come up with a reasonable argument. To top it off, she presented me with this dilemma:

Our families don't know about the fact that we visit nude beaches. Going to Sandy Hook? Well, there are plenty of textile beaches, they don't sell beach tags, and they have easy restroom access. No one that we've mentioned it to has asked, and even if they knew there was a nude beach, would probably not mention it to me. It is also a day trip, only a couple hours from home, so we don't have to worry about the dog.

So, if we go to a resort for the day, where do we say we are going? If we go overnight, we have to leave the dog, and then we definitely have to answer that question, since most places won't let us take our dog with us. (Hint to future resort owners - make it pet-friendly, and you might get more business!) Sure, we could lie about it, but I've mentioned already that I'm a Christian.

Yes, I lie, and so does everyone else, but it doesn't mean I should. So what should I do then? I don't have an answer yet, and maybe I never will. Of course, I still have to convince my wife to go, first.

P.S. Just read SunnyDay's message board, and she was talking about going camping with friends. So jealous!!! :)

Links

I've put up a few links on my page of websites that I follow, but I'd love to add some new ones. Anyone have any good links?

Clothing

One of the reasons I've labeled myself the Modest Nudist is that you would never peg me for being a nudist to begin with. If you asked any of my high school or college friends, they would tell you that I'm a very conservative person, and in public, I certainly would expect the same from my wife. Now, I've never told any of my friends about my inclinations, and may never tell most of them unless the conversation comes up and I think they may be comfortable with it as well. Part of that, especially as an educator, is because I believe I need to remain professional in the workplace.
My wife has told some of her friends that we have gone to nude beaches, many of whom can't believe it, but are certainly accepting. Few of them have offered to join us, of course, but maybe that will change with time.
While I am a nudist at heart, in my home, and at the beach, in public, I feel most comfortable dressing nicely. I also appreciate that my wife does the same. This summer, we have been both to Gunnison Beach and to one of the boardwalks on the Jersey Shore. Walking along the boards with scantily clad women, I just felt like I was in the midst of a sexually charged atmosphere. Skimpy bikinis really draw your eyes to certain places, and I'm really not comfortable with that. Mix that with stores on the boardwalk displaying shirts advertising sex, drinking, and partying, and you realize how completely different an atmosphere it is compared to Gunnison. Maybe making the Jersey Shore clothing optional would change our attitudes about our bodies.

Nude-curious

I recently read this article online about being "nude-curious". Like it or not, it presents an interesting perspective on nudity. My wife definitely falls in with the nude-curious category. Go to a nude beach? YES! Play some naked Wii with friends? Sure. But anything beyond that is still an absurd idea to her.
I have brought up the idea more than once of visiting a resort with her. Now, that brings up other issues I'll mention in my next post. The thought of meeting other people - naked people and their families - seems very strange to her. She can't wrap her head around the idea of seeing children naked at the beach yet (maybe that will change when she has kids). Anything beyond that would be absolutely absurd.
Many of you would say that going to a resort is much better than attending a clothing optional beach. I'd like to agree with you, even though I haven't been. However, I think that many young adults may be nude-curious, but not at all be interested in being a full-blooded nudist. What do you think?

The Reason for the Modest Nudist

Over the past year, I've taken a good, hard look at many of the naturist/nudist sites out there. There are some great sites and blogs, and I'll start noting them soon, but I had not yet seen a blog that expresses how I feel as a semi-nudist. Maybe I should start by stating a little about me....

I am first of all a husband and an educator. For this reason, I plan to stay diligent on protecting my privacy and identity. Maybe later I'll start a debate about the need to stay "in the closet", but as a male working in a school, I feel like I need to be careful for the time being.

I am also a Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord, and will make no bones about it. This isn't a blog about my faith, though, so while I will mention it from time to time, and I will discuss it in depth if you ask, I won't use this as a pulpit. However, I believe that my faith drives how I act as a nudist.

Last of all, I am a very modest person. If you ask the majority of my friends, they will tell you that being a nudist is the last thing they expect from me. A few know, and many do not. I choose not to share my nudist interest with many friends for various reasons. I will never be the politically vigilant nudist - you know, the type of person that would prefer to stay naked even in public - and when dressed, prefer for myself and my wife to dress modestly and professionally.

I hope that this blog will give you an insight on what it means to be a "modest nudist". What type of nudist are you? Vote in the first Modest Nudist poll, and share your comments.