Too Cold to Get Naked!

Living up north isn't easy in the winter, but for the past few years, we've had a break. This winter, we've seen 4 major snowstorms, with most of them forcing school cancellations, bringing power outages, and bringing out the idiot drivers in all of us.

Thank goodness March is almost here, but I almost don't want to get naked. The thought of paying so much for my electric bill kills every thought I have about going naked. That, and I'm just plain cold. It takes me a good 20 minutes to take my coat off after I've entered a building.

Florida looks so good right now!

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!