Well we in the northern hemisphere have just past the Winter Solstice, an annual achievement that is of increasing importance to those of us who live progressively further northwards towards the Arctic Circle. In any case, all of us in this upper half of the globe can soon look forward to more sun on our cheeks and butt cheeks as we move through the more challenging months of the winter. As for those of you who live down under, you will have your just reward in due time.
Rest assured that I will be getting a bit of sun on my cheeks as soon as it shows itself for more than a few minutes a day even if I have to shovel a ton of snow naked to do so. Ironically, I crashed and burned for the first time this season this morning, feeling the familiar onset of some undeniable physical sensations of SAD. Subtly greyed vision and similarly dulled other senses, lack of mental clarity and focus, and random physical aches and pains with no discernible source. Next will come a compelling urge to curl up in a fetal position and sleep for a couple of months. Mind you I have been through this annually for well over fifty of my sixty six years on this planet, and under enough professional scrutiny to ascertain that there is nothing ever physically wrong or threatening to me when this happens. As I have noted elsewhere my old friend SAD now plays much better with my naked version of me than with my textile self. What is significant this year is that my first noticeable crash and burn episode occurred after the Winter Solstice, late for me by several weeks. Not sure yet whether I will be spending fewer weeks in the bare bear cave this year or just shifting my annual vacation from life later by a few weeks.
A good friend and poster on the SNS forum asked of naturism:
“Is this an activity appropriate for a grown man ?" In answer to his own question, he answered "Hell yes it is! Shaking off the shackles of identity, habit, structure and familiarity to just be is….well, essential. It's a vacation."
Everything that he had just noted in answer to his own question is an apt description of the deeper experience of SAD….and I am about to embark upon that vacation. That is perhaps why nudity fits so well into my life.
Why hello my old friend…..welcome into my life once again after all of these years….now lets you and I go out for a naked romp in the bitter cold together. Lets see if you and I can understand each other a bit better and lets see if together we can understand the world better. My dear friend SAD, a true gift you have brought me over the years.
-Dan
