QUOTES 1/31/2017

“26 years ago my wife and I visited the Club Med on Martinique.  Our room was near the nude beach and we walked past it going to and from our room.  Although we are certified in scuba, Club Med required a ‘check-out’ dive in order to participate.  We went for the check-out our first full day there.  I did not have any problem and passed.  My wife had some ear equalizing problems and had to stop the check-out.  This required her to go back the next morning.  So I had the morning alone.  While walking from my room to the beach I stopped at the nude beach.  I thought that I would take a look.  It really seemed strange to see so many people all naked!  As I stood there for a moment I realized that I was the one standing out in my suit.  I hesitated and was about to leave when I said to myself, ‘What the heck, go for it.’  So I took my suit off.  It was strange to be standing on a public beach, NAKED!  The truly shocking part was that no one looked twice!  So I grabbed a chair, spread out my towel and spent the morning reading.  As it came time for my wife to return, I put my suit on and went to meet her. I asked how the dive went and she said fine, so we could sign up to go diving.  She asked me what I did for the morning.  I hesitated and somewhat embarrassed, told her.  I described the strangeness which dissolved into relaxation as the morning passed. I described that there were all sorts of people, young and old, fit and far from fit all relaxing on the beach.  She surprised me by saying, ‘I think I should try it out too.’  And that is where we spent the rest of our week when not out diving.  Since then we have been to many resorts, some with nude areas and some where the resort was all nude.  We attend a club near us when our schedules allow.  It took some years to be comfortable telling them, but now all our close friends know how little we need to pack for vacation!” – Bob, http://aanr.com/first-time-nudist-experience&page=45

“. . . we define a naturist as someone who likes to be naked in social situations, but they also have a philosophy behind it.  There are certain values of acceptance and respect and taking care of the environment and so forth.” – Felicity, http://www.humanistexperience.com/podcast/episode4/transcript/

“I have been seen naked by my neighbors, a middle aged couple and their teenage son who live on one side and a single man who lives on the other side of my apartment many times, generally when I move my trash outside my apartment to the basement.  Almost all the time when they have caught me naked, they have smiled and moved on their way.” – Dforsgren, https://www.truenudists.com/forum/viewthread.php?id=18971&page=1

“Those of us who involve ourselves in the legislative process are constantly fighting off challenges to ban nudity at beaches, hiking trails, or elsewhere.  There are people out there who would take away our rights in a heartbeat if we weren’t paying constant attention. . . A vote against nudity is an easy vote for most legislators regardless of its merits.  You have to frame your argument against a bill as against ‘individual rights’ or against ‘mothers’ (as with breastfeeding bills).  If you try to extol the virtues of nudity, or the wholesomeness of the experience, you will lose every time because the opposition will always bring up the ‘protect our children’ talking point and no politician will ever vote against ‘the children.’ . . . Margaret Mead is said to have written: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’” – Gary Mussell, http://youngnaturistsamerica.com/naturists-seven-rules-of-political-engagement-unity-summit-florida/

“These fears [of social nudity] are really all inside your own head.  The nudists really don’t care.  The people you usually see naked are almost all actors and models on TV and in advertising so we’ve been brainwashed into thinking that’s what a naked person should look like.  Naked people really look like everyone else so I think the idea of accepting your body and other people’s bodies is really healthy.  Our society needs all kinds of tolerance . . .” – Haskell Smith, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33286120