Dear DOMAI
Neither of my parents were into any kind of nudism, so we didn't inherit it genetically, but both my brother and I enjoyed being nude as adults. I didn't find out about his inclination until he and his wife moved into a nudist resort in Florida. Then I found out he had been visiting various nudist clubs and resorts in both Florida and on some of the Caribbean islands for years. Meanwhile, I had been visiting various clothing optional hot springs in California and other western states for much of my adult life. It was at one of those resorts, Orr Hot Springs in Ukiah, California, that I had an experience which opened my eyes surprisingly, on the role of clothing in my judgement and perception of others
I arrived at the resort on a Friday night and immediately got into the public baths. These baths are wonderfully relaxing and each resort has a different approach to helping patrons into achieving their state of relaxation. Orr at that time had some "quiet" pools where silence is mandatory, and other pools where talking is allowed. I spent some time in the quiet baths winding down from my week and my 3 hour drive through the countryside, and then I got into the more conversational bath, to get to know my fellow bathers. It's always so interesting to meet people without clothes, nudity (and the love of it) creates equal~ness. After all, we are all naked all the time, aren't we! And of course there are always some bodies that command more attention than others, the young and the beautiful, so the visuals are often outstanding.
I fell into a great conversation with a lovely young couple, a handsome man and a beautiful, wonderfully curvaceous woman he was with~his wife, as it turned out. We were all very comfortable with each other, and I certainly got the feeling that she enjoyed the attention I and others gave her. I found out that she played fiddle with a well~known folk/jazz fusion group.
Over the course of the weekend, we spent some great time together, talking, cooking, eating, bathing, enjoying the countryside and the warm weather. And all of it was totally unclothed.
Sunday afternoon came, time to pack up and leave. I gathered my things and was hauling my bags out to the car when I looked down at the other end of the parking lot and saw two people who looked quite well~to~do. Their clothing was very elegant, their luggage was fine leather and they loaded it into their luxury SUV. I thought to myself, "Hmmm, these people look like they've got more than a few bucks. I wouldn't think that type of people would come to this funky place" And as I looked closer, I saw that these two people were the same ones who I had just spent hours with conversing and enjoying being naked with! Here I was judging these people, strictly on the basis of their clothes and accessories, deciding that these well~heeled folks were snobby and too good for this place. I classified them as "different" and "uninteresting." Over the years since that time, I've thought of how I judged them, and how I don't have to make similar decisions about people I meet. I know that the clothes we choose lump us into categories that we are judged and evaluated by, that even though we are mostly the same under the clothes, we create some closeness or distance, create all sorts of effects, depending on how we dress. But as I said, we're all naked all the time, that similarity we share is always present.
David
