When random conversations crop up it can be both funny & informative. My wife and I joined a local 'Community Centre Group' mainly to give some time to people in a 'cared-for' residential setting. People who have many various social dysfunctions and/or physical disabilities which make interactions difficult. We sat chatting with a few 'teen-age' people with severe learning problems along with 3 care staff. One young woman got quite chatty and wanted to tell us about her family days out, she became quite excited at having some "nice new old people to talk to!"?? She began to elaborate her story with big & wide expressive arm gestures to say how huge the coach was, to say how many 'lots' of people were on it!
After a lot of laughs and excitable interruptions from others of her group, we got to a point of her story where the people got off the bus to go looking for wild flowers & plants, running in different directions to be first to a stream or to woods. Apparently this young woman and two others ran into the stream up to their knees! the 'mummy person' yelled "Don't get wet clothes, you can't travel wet through!" again wide flailing arms described the incidents.
Then with the same gusto she gasped "So we run to the other side of the water and took all our clothes off!" Gasps stopped her expansive story, the care staff looked stunned, the story telling girl became aware of the amazed silence, she then quietly explained with a look of seriousness and 'adult' tones, "We did! we were on the other side and so we didn't wet our clothes, Jenny Me & Danny took all our clothes off and put them together near the tree. The other people seem angry at us? but we just went into the water and waded down towards a bridge!"
At the end of her very long and hilarious story the clothes were retrieved, the 3 teens were dressed again in dry clothes and around 24 people laughed and cheered all the way home. The threesome couldn't be reprimanded (apparently?) because the just 'did not get those clothes wet'!
Their innocence was basic, funny in a way, but it made us ponder, where could that kind of outlook lead them? Would there always be a 'carer' to safeguard them in future years?
24 thoughts on “Across An Innocent Bridge”
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Sometimes it can be a "situation" that can indicate that a sexual activity is a possibility between a person "asking for it" with sugestive actions and a 'predatory' other.
Sometimes unfortunatly being naked can be interpreted as an invitation or that the naked person is "asking for sex" just by being naked.
What are "compromising situations"? What do you mean by that?
With "innocence" you mean "dangerous naivity"? As in: not being aware of the few "hunters" out there who see nudity as an invitation to rape?
I would be more worried about finding the way back to the clothes after the swim than… what exactly are you worried about? Seeing naked children as an invitation for pedophiles? In that case: they're always in danger, also when wearing clothes. Yes, maybe I am naive, but could you please elaborate on your last two sentences?
The 'innocence' of these youngsters gives them a very "trusting" outlook which could, in some circumstances, lead them into very compromising situations. It is wise for them to have 'guidance' &/or supervision much longer than is usual. Sadly there are some people in life who prey on vulnerable people. (of all ages)
A couple of years ago, when my grandson was just 5 years old, I was helping my daughter build a shed in her garden when she asked her son not to dirty the white shorts that were all he was wearing on that hot day – next we knew, he was not wearing them!
Makes perfect sense to me. The clothes don't get dirty when taken off playing.
Indeed. Clothing and swimming don't go together at all.
Still, part of the process of deserving my swimming diploma was about swimming with clothing, including shoes. But yeah, that's just in case of a flood or surprise…. It's a special skill: swimming with clothes.
Deep down inside they know how to enjoy life. It is too bad others tell them that enjoyment is bad when personal views differ.
A quite sensible solution to a problem. It's a pity that "society" sees it as wrong.
Good for them. TY for sharing that story.