I never was completely accepting to social nudity. My family always was always supportive for the nude life and I was too until I hit 10 or 11 when it became harder to socialize with peers and discuss our lives at home and what we had in common.. my peers would talk about their vacations and trips all the time and they would always talk about their experiences and its when it occurred to me that they spent it with clothes on by the way they told me their story. At one point in had to question why they never disrobed when how they explained it was very hot and humid outside.
It was only then I discovered that not everyone was like me and my family. upon asking such a question I felt like a lone wolf struggling to find an appropriate answer to tell them without feeling like a lone sheep in the herd of animals giving you the deer-in-headlights look. By then it was kinda too late and when the roll of questions rolled in like a super-cell thunder storm came and I wasn’t ready for… a combonation of giggling and question of concern derived just like any textile would ask, what do you mean naked? — Naked!? — are you serious? … etc etc etc… What could I answer, I was just about as confused as they were and needless to say I felt like I said enough that if I tried to explain things further I would only be digging myself deeper to a point where I’d be left flabbergasted on what to say next without the worry of being feeling like im the random person who felt like the odd-ball of the group to have no clue what to say next without burring myself in deeper than I already was. So basically I left it as it was and eventually it blew over after a few years.
It was only when I was 15 when i discovered myself said that the hell with what people think or say what my lifestyle is, im here now and this is what I believe in and this is how I feel is right when I did not give two shits what others say and only in 2011 when I decided to start The Naturist Page to help educate and promote Naturism when it has far more health benefits than being clothed. I do hope that I have influenced others to take my lead to help educate and teach others that nudity isnt sexual… its completely natural and we need your help to educate others as well
Thank you Scott for such a wonderful 'revealing' story and a window into your life as a child and as a young adult. I share a lot of your experiences too because I grew up in a naturist family. We never actually used the phrase "Naturist" that I can recall, I think that it was just a usual life to us. Yes both myself & my sister had the same difficulties that you had when friends talked about home life or vacations.
We got to a point of "What The Fuck!" way back in 1964 when we just could not be bothered anymore trying to dodge the questions etc. For a while we got ridiculed, we got loads of friends wanting to come to our house to see us get naked. Of course that didn't happen in quite that way.
We did get to a stage where we didn't worry too much who came into our family home, my dad said it was okay to be seen nude in our own house. Both him & mum were seen naked by visiting neighbours and our school pals eventually.
Today my wife and I live naturist. Myself around 85% of everyday, my wife only around 20%. But like you we think it's our way of educating folk, instead of hiding, after all we have nothing to hide, do we !