QUOTES 2/4/2017

“. . . if I carry a wrap (I purchased the ridiculously expensive Sport Kilt), then I'm comfortable walking in any quiet area because if I do see anyone, I just wrap it round and smile 'hello' when I get to them. . . Yesterday I walked 12 miles with the Naturist Ramblers in the New Forest area.  Apart from the beginning and end of the walk, we only needed to cover up once for about 2 minutes in the 6 hours we were out.” – Norman, http://freerangenaturism.com/forum/index.php?topic=821.0;topicseen

“Queen Elizabeth I may have had an outfit that showed the entirety of her breasts, including a slice of flesh underneath, depending on how you interpret a letter from a slightly shocked ambassador at her court; 18th century French fashion was all about the sudden coquettish exposure of a nipple; and we have records of fashionable court dresses for royal women of the 17th century that exposed the entire breast, but covered all the arms and legs to prevent even a sliver of flesh being seen.” – JR Thorpe, http://www.bustle.com/articles/172288-7-strange-beliefs-about-nudity-in-western-history?platform=hootsuite

“I am truly sorry for you if you think the human body is offensive.  If you really feel this about God’s creation, please feel free to give yours back.” ~ from the Sothern Daily Echo website, Southampton England, Tom Pine’s The Naked Truth Naturists Newdsletter, Vol 17, #8

“I spent years fantasy photoshopping myself.  I wanted to be tall and slim like Giselle, but my ankles were too thick.  I was knock-kneed and short.  My hair was brunette and my skin olive.  I tried to wish away the dark fuzz on my forearms.  I feared my face was ugly, spending hours studying blond classmates with cute turned up noses and wondering why I was so cursed.  My rounded belly was the worst flaw of all. . . I felt like the Michelin Man.  When I landed at Bard College, I was far away from my parents and felt drunk with freedom. . . I had an impromptu chance one afternoon when my figure-drawing instructor said, ‘We have to cancel class.  The model didn't show.’  ‘I'll do it!’ I said . . . There was an absence of fear. . . I arranged myself on the model's platform . . . I chose a reclining position I could hold for the first 30-minute pose.  It was an odd sensation sitting there naked while students studied me. . . I knew staring at a nude model was less about sexual excitement and more of a concentrated study of shapes and shadows. . . When the timer rang for our five-minute break, artisans set down paintbrushes and Conté crayons.  After stretching my arms and unfolding my legs, I pulled one of the long paisley shawls around me like a cape then made my way around the circle to view each illustration. . . The experience made me look at myself in a new way.  Suddenly I saw my body as that of a healthy, complex, multi-faceted woman.  I saw beauty in my lines, curves and shadows.  I let go of the yammering critical voices in my head.  Instead of picking myself apart, I finally saw how beautifully other eyes saw me.  I realized that the only person who thought I was inadequate was me.” – Dorri Olds, http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/a55208/i-posed-nude-to-get-over-my-body-issues/?utm_content=buffer7d0b4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

“I was camping at Green Lake last weekend under a sunny sky enjoying early summer warmth.  I was the only nude person at my campsite, and that was acceptable to my wife and friends.  I was nude all day Saturday until cool air set in after dusk. . . I noticed another camper . . . this man was about to skinny dip when I was paddling in a kayak and came into his view.  I was well off shore, but I'm absolutely certain that he recognized that I was nude in the kayak.  I certainly saw him begin to remove his shorts in preparation for a quick dip, but when he saw me, he immediately pulled up his shorts and waited for me to pass by before he finally stripped and dipped.  I saw at a distance that he finally took to the water.  So why did he choose to hesitate rather than dive in whilst I was in view?  He knew that I was from the other campsite because we'd met on Friday to say hello as neighboring campers (I was wearing shorts then), so I'm pretty sure that I was not offending him.  I think he reacted just as he would have if any other boat would have passed by.” – Alf, http://freerangenaturism.com/forum/index.php?topic=810.0;topicseen