Letters To DOMAI

Dear DOMAI

My boyfriend showed me your site last week, and I spent most of an afternoon admiring the simple and natural beauty of the models. I also started reading some of the letters that people had sent in to you. I was intrigued by the wide variety of adventures and experiences that your readers were writing about—especially the ones written by your female readers. After I thought about it for a few days, I decided to pull together my memories of a one-of-a-kind experience that happened to me in college a few years ago.

At the time, I was among a group of seven girls who were trying to get into a popular sorority on campus. We were told that we were finalists and that all we had to do was complete the initiation ritual that apparently had been a tradition for many years. I admit that I was a bit nervous due to the fact that the house leaders would tell us very little about this "ritual", but I knew that none of the fraternity or sorority houses on campus had a history of dangerous or degrading hazing stunts, so I figured that I was safe and ready for the challenge.

The day before the event, we were told to pack for a two day canoe trip on the river not far from campus and to plan for an overnight camping stop along the way. The house leaders promised plenty of time for swimming and games along the shore, so I made sure to pack some comfortable shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops, and two of my favorite swimsuits. I guessed that they had some embarrassing games or pranks in store for us, but I wanted to be comfortable and ready for anything they might throw at us in their efforts to shake our resolve and cause us to have second thoughts about joining the sorority.

When we got to the river on a sunny Saturday morning, I was surprised to learn that we would be joined by members of a fraternity that had close connections with the house I was trying to get into. We found out that the two houses had traditionally held their initiation together for as long as anyone could remember, and so we packed our things into 14 canoes and began to paddle down the river. It was already getting warm and the thought of a cool dip in the river was inviting, but I was also growing nervous since I began to wonder where I could change into my bikini. I had expected a girls-only outing where it would be easy to find a time and place to slip into my suit, but now I was in the midst of several canoes full of guys and the prospects of privacy were less likely. 

After paddling for an hour or so, we put in at a secluded beach that offered plenty of space for tents, campfires, and games. We unpacked the coolers and food, and relaxed with some sandwiches and chips. Some of the guys were running across the sand and tossing footballs, but most of us just kicked off our shoes and socks and tried to get some sun. I was ready to take a swim, but as I looked around, all I saw were some patches of tall grass and some small willow trees—nothing that would offer any of us any privacy to change into swimsuits. As I was weighing my options, I heard the others begin to lay out beach towels in a circle. As the president of each house began to explain the events of the day, some of the other leaders pulled out a stack of brown paper bags and brought them into the large circle. We would soon find out the purpose they would serve.

As I listened to some stories about the history of the two houses and the various activities that were planned for the two houses during the year, I was growing more uneasy about the initiation that I knew was just ahead. I had speculated about several scenarios, but I admit I was completely unprepared for what I heard next. Our sorority president grabbed one of the paper bags and stood in the middle of the circle while the fraternity president stood at her side holding two small containers. She congratulated us for surviving all of the steps in the selection process and said that all of the house leaders were ready to welcome us as new members. She explained that we were all undergoing a symbolic re-birth into a new phase in our lives and that it seemed fitting that we entered into this new phase the same way that we had first come into this world—completely naked as nature intended. It took me a few moments for this observation to sink in, but I quickly realized the impact of her words. If I had the guts to complete the ritual, in a few minutes I would be standing naked in front of group of friends as well as a bunch of guys that I had just met that morning.

A few people protested, but both leaders explained that this ritual was designed to break down class barriers and create open and honest relationships with the other members. They argued that it would prove our dedication to our houses and build trust between all members. They said that they had all done it themselves and that it had helped them to develop stronger characters and tolerance for the differences in others. We quickly figured out that this was no joke and that their expectations were firm. We could refuse, of course, but we would forfeit any chance of membership.

The process was simple. Starting with our sorority leader, each house leader would select a name from one of the two containers, ask that person to stand in the middle of the circle, and remove his or her clothes and place them in a paper bag. Once completely nude, the pledge was expected to move around the circle and greet each person as they in turn were welcomed into membership. I knew now why the leaders had selected this spot to set up camp. We were standing on a totally secluded beach situated off the main channel and there was virtually no chance that we would be seen by others on the river.

The first person selected was a guy named Rick who I had known since high school. I had seen a few guys naked before, but never outdoors under a bright sun. I admit that I was fascinated as I watched him undress and stand completely naked in front of our group of people. It was just the luck of the draw, but it turned out that he was an ideal person to lead off the initiation ritual. He was clearly quite confident and he made no attempt to cover himself as he began to make his way around the circle. I was filled with appreciation as my eyes worked their way down his body. I gazed at his broad shoulders, his sculpted chest muscles, his beautiful penis, and his strong and powerful legs. He could have been the model for the classical Greek sculptures I had seen in museums.

My good friend Meg was the next to be selected, and we could all see that she was extremely embarrassed and nervous after she had pulled off her shirt and then bent down to step out of her bright yellow shorts. Now standing in just her rather skimpy underwear, she hesitated so long that I started to think that she was going to call it quits and give up her chance at joining the house. Our sorority leader went over and whispered something in her ear. I thought I saw a few tears, but she finally worked up enough courage to slip off her bra and panties and drop them into her paper bag with the rest of her things. Unlike Rick, she tried to cover her nude body with her arms and hands as she hurried around the circle and returned to her original spot.

I'm pretty sure that all of the remaining girls shared my empathy for Meg—we could all feel her anguish and those feelings were compounded by the realization that we would all be standing in her place in a matter of minutes. The selection process alternated between males and females as more names were drawn from the containers. I watched with apprehension as three more guys and two more girls stripped naked before my moment of truth arrived. I heard my name called and I slowly stepped into the center of the circle.

I looked around the circle and saw that every eye was on me as I started to pull my t-shirt over my head. Since only two boys had ever seen me naked in my life, I really thought that I would be mortified to undress in front of so many people. I was surprised to discover that I felt more comfortable and relaxed than I expected. I have always felt good about my body and my appearance, and I was amazed to discover that it was very exhilarating to feel the sun and the warm breeze on my skin. As I walked around the circle to greet all of my new friends, I chuckled to myself that just a few minutes before, I had been wondering where I could hide to change into my swimsuit. It was clear now that my birthday suit was going to be my wardrobe for the rest of this weekend.

Once all of the new pledges had successfully survived the ritual, we spent the rest of the day swimming and playing on the beach in the nude. After the initiation ceremony, all of the house leaders stripped down and enjoyed the day au naturel as well. It took some of the new pledges longer to relax and enjoy the experience, but I think that by the end of the weekend, we all hated to put clothes on again and return to "civilization" Since that day, my boyfriend and I have tried a few nude beaches ourselves, but I will never forget that day when I first discovered how wonderful and natural it feels to enjoy the simple pleasures of nature they way people are supposed to experience them—without clothes and without shame.

Kim

"Again, I want to express my respect for what you have developed at DOMAI.com. It is very refreshing to find such quality at DOMAI.com, after voyaging through the 4-year storm of mostly trash." - Sincerely, James C. H.

Alexandria

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