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barefootguyinco
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Posted - 01/15/2011 : 12:02:49 PM
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We tell people all the time. Most everyone we know, knows we are nudists, including all of our family & neighbors since we were on TV for hosting World Naked Gardening Day last year. But we don't try and shove it down anyone's throat nor are we pushy about it. We are proud of our lifestyle and feel many more people could benefit by embracing the nudist lifestyle, or at least our values of a positive body image and acceptance of others no matter if they are overweight, have scars etc.
And many of us talk about wanting more public places to go nude and more acceptance of our nudist lifestyle, but few of us are willing to try to promote nudism in a positive light. We were like that until a few years ago when we realized that if we want to see these things happen, more of us have to do a part to spread the word. So we no longer care and try to find a reason to bring up the subject anytime we can. For example, when getting my hair cut if the person cutting my hair mentions getting some sun, swimming, camping, hiking or most anything we do nude, we just talk about it but mention something like 'we love our pool, especially since we have privacy and don't have to wear suits'. Or 'that sun feels so good first thing every spring especially when you don't have to get any tan lines' which makes them ask us what we mean or if we are nudists.
If we approach the subject in a casual, proud manner we find others are not put off by it and often have questions about it, which we are glad to answer.
We were even very surprised by something that happened yesterday regarding our lifestyle. Since everyone we know is aware we are nudists, and we routinely post nudist information on our facebook page it has just become accepted by all our friends and family. And even our grandkids know we are nudists and have had a few questions about it, including the nude photo of the 2 of us on our entry table, along with other family photos. The photo is very tasteful and doesn't show much, but you know we are nude. Well we decided we would like to try taking them to a clothing optional hot springs about 100 miles to further show them that a lot of people enjoy being nude around others and that there is nothing wrong with it.
We decided to ask the parents if we could take them with us but figured we would never get all parents to agree because the mother and father are divorced and the fathers current wife has a lot to say about how the boys are raised. In addition the father is very conservative and we figured they would never allow it. But we asked anyway (knowing it's ok with my girlfriends daughter as she has no problem with us being nude around her) and were very surprised when they said yes after discussing it for about a week.
I'm actually not the boys real grandfather and have only known them for about a year and a half but they already call me grandpa and we are very close. So this surprised me even more when they said yes. But I think because we are so open about it, and my girlfriends daughter has spent a few days with us nude while recovering from surgery, they were convinced that our nudism is not anything harmful to the kids. Plus our 4 times being interviewed on TV and all of our posts on Facebook have likely helped them understand why we choose to be nude and what nudism really is.
So we get mostly positive responses and results from letting others know and will continue to promote the nudist lifestyle as often as possible. If we lose friends over this, then they weren't really true friends were they?
Body shame, like prejuduce, is not natural. It is learned from others and benefits no one.
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free2be
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 Posted - 01/15/2011 : 3:55:58 PM
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Well said Guy...and I also like the way you bring the subject up in an easy, non-threatening way. Rob
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barefootguyinco
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Posted - 03/04/2011 : 12:01:24 PM
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Update: We finally took the grandsons to Orvis Hot Springs, the clothing optional hot springs, and it turned out great. We had them the night before so had time to explain where we were going and show them the AANR video so they could see what it would be like.
Then we arrived and told them they could go out in suits but didn't really need them. The youngest, 7, asked if we were going to wear suits and we told him no. Well we changed and got into the pool and after about 3 minutes the youngest asked if he had to wear his suit, and of course we said no. He quickly shucked it and had a big grin on his face. After a bit he wanted to take his glasses off so we told him to go put them by his towel, about 10ft from the entry to the pool. He did and had everyone laughing as he tried to cover his front and back at the same time, one with each hand. The whole pool was laughing and we did our best not to laugh to much. After a bit I explained that he didn't have to cover up and from that point on, he never did, even when fully exposed. He took to nudism like the proverbial fish to water. The oldest, 12, never did get undressed but wasn't at all bothered by the nudism. But he seemed out of it the whole day. The next day we found out he had the flu so we feel that had he felt better he might have tried it.
We asked them both if they wanted to do it again sometime and they both do so we look forward to it. Also, when changing back to street clothes in the changing room the youngest asked if we had to wear clothes home. I asked if he wanted to drive home naked and he said 'Sure'. I laughed and said we had probably better get dressed as we had to stop and eat along the way and it would be difficult to drop them off at the parents nude. So we have a new nudist youngster in the family, lol.
We plan on hooking up our hot tub soon and inviting these two grandsons and their mother soon to soak in the tub. I think my fiance's daughter, their mother, will skinnydip with us and the boys will join in as well.
Body shame, like prejuduce, is not natural. It is learned from others and benefits no one.
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Warmskin
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Posted - 03/10/2011 : 04:55:09 AM
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Shows you how positive kids can be. It's simple for them, but highly complex for new adult nudists-trying-to-bees. Kids have a clean slate for a mind, while we adults have all sorts of statements jammed onto our slates. The luxury of simply assuming nudity is fun, without justfications, but with innocence.
Thank you for this great example.
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
James Madison
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FlCpl4NewdFun
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Posted - 04/29/2011 : 11:56:21 PM
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One way I broach the subject with friends is to share my experience visiting Vigeland Park in Oslo Norway several years ago.
For those you you not familiar with the park I've attached the link. Of course it's not really about nudism, but more about innocent nudity of people of all ages in a public setting. Every time I think about my trip or look at the photos I took it makes me wonder if a park of this scale, full of multigenerational nude sculptures would be possible in the United States. Sadly, I'm not sure we can handle it, maybe a nude sculpture here and there, but hundreds many of which are children. Not a chance!
Anyway, when describing the park it often leads to a discussion on attitudes and perceptions of nudity and social nudity. If you're every in Norway it's a "must see"
http://www.vigeland.museum.no/en/vigeland-park
Cheers!
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blavan
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Posted - 09/08/2011 : 12:27:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by karen1963
I have never volunteered the information to anyone. Unless someone brings up the subject, I never feel the need to just tell people. I have never had an experience where someone brought up nudism in random conversation. If someone randomly brought up the subject, or asked me a question, I wouldn't have any problem talking about it. I just never feel the need to announce it out of the blue.
Why should "announcing", mentioning, or discussing nudism be any different than other topics or activities?
It really should not be, but it is difficult for some people to discuss it because we live where many in our society are pre-disposed to rejecting nudity as a bad thing. Reactions are really all over the scale from "yeah isn't nudity great" to "there ought to be a law against that". That is the reason why some people will bring it up and some people fear an over reaction from those whom we had thought to be "seamingly rational" people.
Discussing a nude vacation in Cape D'Adge France should not be any different than talking about a clothed trip to Disney World, but it is. That is why we discuss educating the public. Our society has conditioned body shame into too many people. Too many have forgotten what it was like to be naked as a child. Some of our naturist friends grew up naked in California. Some places like Europe have less body shame than in the states. We do need more education about naturism if we want to reduce the threat to our lifestyle. The threat is real and it comes from ignorance.
Being Naked and Being Real
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Edited by - blavan on 05/28/2012 07:50:40 AM |
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nudesunguy
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Posted - 09/08/2011 : 1:23:40 PM
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I remember when my wife told her friend that we were going to St. Martin, the friend said, "There are topless beaches there, are you sure you want to take your husband to such a place." Hahaha. If she only knew.
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Posted - 03/27/2012 : 4:30:27 PM
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I am very selective about who I share the info with being not everyone is open to it even if it is something that they do not see but they just know about it makes them upset and offended. I find usually female freinds I have accept it much higher than any male freind as to them it is gay. Which just shows they are not that smart about nudity.
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blavan
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Posted - 05/28/2012 : 07:49:43 AM
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The more that we tell others, the more accepted nudism will become.
There will be some casualties along the way, but that is true of any movement (if you consider nudism as a movement toward greater acceptance).
We have found it easier to tell co-workers and friends at church, etc. than family members. Might sound strange but when you think about it no one gets to choose their family members.
For most nudists it can still be a selective choice about who is allowed to know.
Being Naked and Being Real
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Bob Knows
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Posted - 05/28/2012 : 10:53:01 AM
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Yep blavan. The more we think and talk about nudism as some weird perversion the less we are able to make naked acceptable. Even having to call it "nudism" makes being naked into a strange sounding perversion. We need to tell others, show others by going naked whenever and wherever we won't get arrested, and advocate for body acceptability in public forums. Say negative things about swim suits and clothes. Say positive things about human bodies. Write to public forums and comments on news web sites. And you are right too, blavan, that arguing with or confronting family is often dificult.
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Carlover227
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Posted - 05/28/2012 : 12:34:46 PM
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I haven't discussed it with my family, but I think they figured it out because I don't close doors and think nothing of them walking by the bathroom or my bedroom. My close friends, however, are very open-minded. My girlfriend's more then halfway there towards being a nudist, but isn't quite there yet. Anyway, I brought it up to my close friends in the form of jokes, like "for every round you lose, you lose one article of clothing," or "Hey! We should try this naked! It'd be so much fun!" Finally one of my friends just asked me if I was a nudist, and I said "yup and proud of it." She kind of laughed, but all my close friends are not only open to the idea, but we are now anxiously waiting for a chance to have a nude hangout!  Sometimes, you just have to come out with it. I'm done hiding who I am, but at the same time, I don't go around advertising it, either.
Proud to be a nudist.
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free2be
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Posted - 07/08/2012 : 1:13:45 PM
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Lately, I have a PR agent that handles it...my wife. Although naturism is not for her, she thinks it is fun to tell people that we go to a CO beach when they ask if we did anything special for my birthday. She also quickly points out that at a CO beach, she is the "C" and I am the "O". Reactions have not been negative. Most of her younger co-workers think it is great that we do something like that. None have yet to say that they would like to try it themselves. She has also told her siblings, and again, nothing negative but it did not spark as much conversation as with the people she works with. The only ones she has yet to tell are her Mom and Dad...although one of her siblings has probably already said something, but I don't know that for sure. Other than around our annual birthday trip to Gunnison, I don't think she generally brings it up, but she does a great job when she gets a chance to mention it.
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Posted - 07/15/2012 : 2:43:03 PM
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For me I just leave out things like brochures, magnets on fridge that hint to clothing optional things and most often they bring it up asking why do I have it etc. Then just go from there most are open about it and dont mind but refuse to be around it or go nude themselves.
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HomeRules
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Posted - 09/22/2020 : 12:18:17 PM
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I always bring up nudity in a half-serious joke. If they follow up on it, I redirect the conversation in a way where they can figure it out. I've gotten some looks, but nobody has voiced their objection, and a couple times it's turned favorable.
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If clothing didn't exist, everyone would have a lot less worry about our appearance.
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FireProf
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Posted - 09/22/2020 : 12:44:03 PM
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We have close textile friends and she's broached the subject several times. She's even made comments about her inability to do housework naked since her mother came to live with her. But, if we broach the subject, she gets weird. I wish we could just get past the weird stage where we can tell them, "we're not trying to convert you, see you naked or get sexual, it's just a huge part of who we are and to us, it's just as normal as living wearing clothes." WE get more questions and interest from our daughters friends.
Loves being naked. Plays well with others!
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Broaching the subject of nudism with friends
