Hello, fellow Hivians! Is that a word? It is now. In an effort to be more engaged in Hive I have decided to get into contests and other such initiatives on the chain. This is a bit challenging for me as I’m in a bit of niche market, but I welcome that challenge.
Today I’m writing in response to the
prompt
from 
“Tell us what your hobby is, why you enjoy it, how you do it and what you need to make it happen, what’s involved, how it makes you feel when engaging with it or anything else you’d like to share about it.”
If you’ve been reading my posts for any length of time, you’ll know that my hobby is naturism (or, if you prefer, nudism). This is a relatively simple hobby to engage in because it involves simply removing your clothes and going on about your life as normal.
I suppose for me it’s really more of a lifestyle. I never wear clothes if I don’t have to. For some however, it really is more of a hobby, because they can only indulge every once in a while. For them, nudism involves travel to a campground or beach. Or maybe they get involved with a local non-landed club. Non-landed clubs have get togethers in member’s homes instead of a set piece of property. Sometimes they will organize busses or car pools to “landed” clubs or places where nudity is legal.
So what does this hobby/lifestyle provide for me?
First, it gives me freedom. I hate being constricted in clothing. I don’t move around as easily. My body feels suffocated and unable to regulate it’s temperature. When I am nude I can breathe freely and move my body around like it was designed to move.
Second, it gives me confidence. We live in such an image conscious world. Our clothes label our standing in society, showing the world whether we are rich or poor. Name brands enslave us to the corporate world and shackle us to a constantly changing fashion world which appraises us not on our personal self but on what we wear. When I am nude I am myself.
When I am nude with others they see me for me, there is nothing external to judge me on besides perhaps my body shape and hairiness. But nudists don’t judge on appearances. We understand that every body is the same even if every body is a little different. I’m not ashamed of my gut, or even my penis size, because no one body is “perfect.”
Third, it makes me a little different. In a cookie cutter world, it’s nice to have something in my life that makes people look at me a little odd. When I tell people that I am a nudist they usually laugh. They don’t think I’m serious. Then when they realize that I am, they either shrug and continue on like nothing is different or they admire me for my “courage” to be nude with others. If only they knew! Sure, it takes courage the first time or two, but after experiencing it a few times, you start to wish the whole world was a nudist world! It takes less courage to be nude with others than it does to give a speech in front of them.
Fourth, and this is probably why most people are afraid of nudism, it allows an incredible amount of intimacy with others. When we aren’t hiding behind clothing and the class labels they apply to us, we are forced to interact with others on a more personal level. You can’t tell what a nude person does for a living, they don’t have a uniform. You can’t assume age because every body ages differently. You can’t tell what other hobbies they enjoy because they aren’t wearing a t-shirt proclaiming it. You have to ask questions. And even though we can see it all, we don’t gawk. Nudists look each other in the eyes, lest we get accused of being looky-loos. It isn’t polite to stare in the “textile world”, it’s even more taboo in the nudist world.
To answer the prompt more succinctly, how do I do it? I “do” nudism by simply removing my clothes when I get home. I also occasionally go camping or escape to secluded areas to “practice” it.
What do you need to make it happen? Well, this can be as simple as nothing if you are single and live alone, just take off your clothes, now you’re a nudist. If you’re not single or live with family or roommates you need their permission. Sadly, some people aren’t accepting of the nude body. Sometimes you can adjust them slowly to the sight of your body by walking to and from the bathroom nude, or sleeping nude and not covering up if people walk in. Spend more and more time nude and most people acclimate (they might even join in). If that doesn’t work and they still oppose your new hobby you will need a local club, campground, beach, or secluded area to “practice” your nudist life in.
Thanks for reading! I hope you have enjoyed this little exploration of my “hobby”. Thanks
