What do the subjects fishing, topic drift, the wealth of expressive possibility to be found within the English language, human greed, our insatiable appetite for consumption of resources, and the future of the planet have in common? Everything if you dive in grabbing hook line and sinker and read into an active conversation thread on a naturist internet forum as it turns out. There is one such meandering thread active on the SNS forum just now. Ironic that one poster there should mention the increasing amount of CO2 and methane that we humans are dumping into the planet's ecosystems every year for I found myself teasing the same thought as I was out running this afternoon. Inspired by the incredibly clear air that we here in the Boston area were treated to yesterday and to a lesser extent today, I just had to get out into the nearby Blue Hills reservation for a nude run today. Incidentally with the sun as warm as it seemed yesterday what with the air so free of haze on a December day, I was startled by how low above the horizon the sun reached at high noon….no more than 40 degrees inclination over my head. The reality in these parts of the Winter Solstice being so near on the calendar.
I found myself once again marveling at how precisely adaptable to our environment our naked bodies are. With the temperature hovering at 35F, I had started out wearing just a tee shirt and my Running Kilt. This is not as crazy as it seems. I was feeling a bit chilled at first so I did what any self respecting naturist would do. I took everything off. In short order, I was entirely comfortable, enjoying the little bubble of warmth that I was creating for myself as the surrounding cold stung at my skin….a most pleasant and addictive sensation, one that I treasure about running nude in the winter, enhanced all the more by the knowledge that I cannot often get away with this in the warmer months for there are too many people on the trails at other times of the year. But I digress.
I was coasting along through the woodland and hills for the better part of an hour, enjoying the interplay of warm golden light and deep shadow that the low angle December sun creates so special at this time of the year. I started pondering whether my body actually consumes more energy under such winter conditions fighting to stay uniformly warm and comfortable under uneven layers of typical western attire or simply chugging along at a similar level of metabolism while out in the open entirely nude? Under which mode of coping with the cold is my body's metabolism more efficient? The answer to this earth shaking question would no doubt have some major effect upon the amount of greenhouse gases that I am personally dumping into the atmosphere! :=) How's that for shaving the hair off of a flea? No need to bother with deep thoughts about the environmental damage that my car, home heating plant, or big screen TV nor my personal eating preferences might be doing to the planet for the moment. Jogging nude in beautiful surroundings on a perfect December day can send one's mind into such strange places!
Play naked.
-Dan
Thanks Shane and Jo. I had a wonderful opportunity took it down a notch or two in temperature this weekend freehiking and working naked outdoors with temperatures in the 0F to 15F range and I continue to be amazed even after many years of year round outdoor naturism at how the human body takes it in stride without a hiccup. I was going to write more detail here but decided to shift to a new blog. Please viewo my next one.
🙂 Absolutely agree!
I have thought for quite some time when you get out and connect with nature in the most natural of ways, it's akin to a reality check.
There is not only a realisation just how wondrous the environment is, but perhaps slightly more refreshing, and reassuring, is how integral a part of the environment you are. Were that not the case you wouldn't adapt so seamlessly well with it.
I'm certain if more people got out and experienced the natural environment in as simple and honest a manner as possible, our insatiable appetite for consumption would be curbed. In an ecologically responsible world, small packets of stuff would be considerably cheaper than large packets. As it is the opposite is true and we're lured into consumption and waste.
Here's to experiencing nature in the raw 🙂