Bob Knows

I’ve been noticing that many people post photos of themselves or friends on Naktiv.  Most comments ignore the person who is the subject of the photo, and only talk about the background.  Nice lighting, nice beach, nice forest, oh happy day.  The person who is subject of the photo seems to be a taboo subject for comments.   I’m sure there is good reason for that.  People don’t want to say “nice buns” and be accused of “sexual” content.  I’m finding the whole behavior silly and even absurd.  

Members don’t post our nude photos so you can appreciate our towel or our lighting.  People are arguably the most social species.  We all spend much of our time talking about, gossiping about, and looking at other people.  I’m finding the vanishing people in photos kind of crazy making. 

How about we go back to saying stuff like, “Thanks for posting the photo of YOU.”  or “Nice seeing YOU.” 
Your mileage may vary.

I was on my way to a pagan Beltane camping event held at an aging hippie commune called Windward Foundation http://www.windward.org/. I was driving along when I saw a sign for the Stonehenge replica. My father had taken us to see it way back in the 1950s, and I’ve been meaning to see it again ever since. So I turned off and went to see. Admission is free. It is not crowded. I was the only person there when I arrived on a Thursday about mid day. I decided it would be good to get naked at the monument.

The Stonehenge replica at Maryhill, WA, USA is perhaps the only full scale replica in existence. It is constructed of concrete, not natural stone, but that works for me. The altar was dedicated on July 4, 1918 to WW I soldiers who died in battle. The remainder of the monument was finished a few years later.

It was constructed by James J. Hill, a wealthy railroader from the 19th century. He also built an amazing manor house for his wife at Maryhill. The manor house is now an art museum you should go see too. I didn’t pay admission to the art museum which is a couple miles away from the Stonehenge. Really nice view of the Columbia Gorge.

The Stonehenge replica is now officially a Veterans Memorial for Klickitat County war dead. http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/visit/stonehenge-memorial

If you are ever traveling I-84 east of Portland, OR, turn off at Biggs Junction. Its only a few miles across the bridge and up a hill on the WA side of the Columbia river. Its well worth the extra time to see and feel the stones. FREE parking and admission.

Here it is March, and its still snowing, cold, windy, awful to be out naked.    I live near Spokane, WA, USA.  We’ve been cooped up inside since October.   I seriously need to move south before the coming ice age really takes hold.

On another Naturist forum I posted about being seen naked as a way of conditioning the public to accept seeing occasional naked people. One of the other Naturists replied:

"I think you are being unrealistic. Forcing our nudity on other people does not make them accept it- it just makes them think we are arrogant and inconsiderate of other people. Rather it makes sense to you or not- many people do not like nudity- especially nudity that they think is unattractive- and forcing them to see it will not change their mind one bit."

I find that attitude rather off putting. Nobody forces anyone to look. THEY are forcing their clothing on us in public places. We are not forcing them to be naked. Forcing us to not only see but participate in their ugly fabric body covers does not change my mind about ugly uncomfortable body covers.

In my opinion there are way too many so-called Naturists (or Nudists) who believe that human bodies should not be seen in public. The attitude conveys and continues anti-body standards. It accepts and enforces the anti-nude agenda that makes bodies obscene, indecent, or otherwise offensive in public.

We will never achieve a goal of public acceptance of nude human bodies as long as we “Police” ourselves and enforce the attitude that even being seen by textiles is “forcing” them to see something offensive. The concept that seeing someone naked, seeing an actual human being, one of their own species is forcing nudity on other people promotes the belief that nudity is unnatural, and humans are inherently offensive. I object to that attitude. Nudists need to demand public acceptance of human bodies. We are NOT FORCING them to be naked. Neither should they be FORCING US to be clothed. Fair is fair. Freedom is freedom. Polite applies to both people or it doesn't apply at all.

There is an ongoing disagreement in organized International nudism over whether Nudists should be more aggressive in promoting acceptance of nudity. I side with those who say that nudity should be promoted and pushed.

In my opinion a belief among nudists that we have to hide our offensive bodies is why nudism has never achieved mainstream acceptance. We will NEVER be accepted while even nudists believe humans are not acceptable in public.

Yesterday afternoon about 4 PM I went out to get my mail as I often do. Its a nice little walk naked in the sunshine. It normally takes me about 15 minutes to walk down there and back. Being naked is legal here unless you are doing something “indecent” or are intending to cause someone else to be alarmed or affronted. Minding your own business such as getting your mail naked is neither of those so its legal. My mailbox is on the far side of a public road. The last 300 feet of my driveway is visible from the road, but has thin woods on either side.

Yesterday as I walked toward the mail box I was perhaps 75 feet from the public road when I heard a car approaching. I don't want to be accused of intending to affront a passing person so I turned and walked away from the road while a black car passed headed south. My thinking is that anyone who sees only the backside of a naked person would have a hard time convincing police or prosecutor that I was intending to cause him to be alarmed or affronted. I was probably 200 feet away from the public road when he went past.

After the black car passed I turned toward my mailbox again. I heard vehicle noise from south and soon decided it was too loud for the black sedan that had passed. I moved back somewhat from the road but not as far. Soon two large pickup trucks towing long trailers went past going north. Their long trailers each had part of the header off a wheat harvester combine. Those harvesters have gotten so big that their cutting header must be removed and turned end-wise to travel on a road from one field to the next. This one apparently came out in two pieces that I would guess to be about 36 feet long. I stood there watching them pass going north.

After the farm machinery passed, I once again began walking toward my mail box. As I near the public road I always look for (rare) pedestrian traffic. This time there were two women north of me walking south toward me. Once again I turned and walked up my driveway away from the public road. I had not gotten as far as the corner of my driveway when the women passed. I was perhaps 300 feet or about 100 meters and walking away with an open driveway for them to look down as they passed. I thought about giving up, so much traffic today, but after they had passed I turned and began walking toward my mail again. When I finally arrived at the public road I could see them quite a distance to the south and walking away. That was far enough and their backs were turned so I walked across the road and got a small package and two letters from the box. I looked again as I walked back across the road toward my driveway. The two women had rounded a curve and passed out of sight.

Half an hour later I was sitting by my computer and noticed a pickup truck arriving up my driveway. I debated with myself whether to answer my door naked, but decided to put on some shorts and go see who it was. I arrived at the front of my house when the door bell rang,. It was one of my neighbors. He explained his concern that his 13 year old daughter had seen me naked. (Oh the horror.) He said he understood my freedom on my own land, but his daughter often walks on the public road, and he doesn't want her seeing me getting the mail.

OMG! I was seen by a 13 year old female. Her life is ruined. Oh the trauma.

He said he doesn't mind me doing whatever I like on my own place, and has seen me getting my mail himself in the past. But, hes said, his daughter should not see. He suggested maybe I should wait until after dark to get my mail. Well, I thought, after 10 years of going naked it seems that my intentional neighborhood reputation as “that old naked codger” has worked.

I thought about arguing that his daughter had not been harmed, and in fact was educated about her own species by casually observing another human, but I didn't want to engage in argument. I promised to look more carefully when approaching the road to see if anyone was out walking. That seemed to satisfy his need to rant, so he agreed to that plan and left.

His daughter and whomever she was with probably had been giggling about “that naked man” when they arrived home. I never got close enough to them for me to see any details to estimate their ages or other description. From 300 feet or so their shapes appeared to be female. They would have needed very sharp vision to see any details about me from that distance. Her father felt a need to “protect” his daughter by ranting to the naked guy. Purity must be preserved. We have to pretend that hormonal 13 year old females are still “children,” and they aren't thinking about men every 6 minutes. Seeing a man, even at a distance, might teacher her the wrong message, or cause her a psychological trauma. Heck, it may even give her an idea that its OK to be seen going naked in the woods. Now that I think about it, she may walk more often to get another look.

I'm going to count this as a negative encounter while roaming naked in the world. The young women were not harmed, and probably enjoyed the view, but the encounter resulted in negative push back from our anti-body culture. I observed that the encounter had not resulted in police arriving at my door. Either father had not reported to police, or the police may have understood its legal to get your mail naked. Either way my reputation as “that old naked codger” is affirmed, and I didn't promise not to get my mail naked.

New photo
http://photos.bradkemp.com/12%20mailbox%201.jpg

Nude Selfie Daily Photo Challenge Pushing public acceptance of human bodies.

Its perfect for those who like to take pictures. Post a nude photo of yourself every day on a non-nudist web site. The photo should include your smiling face and your beautiful human body. Humans are the most beautiful species. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, thin or plump, tall or short, male or female. YOU are a beautiful human being. Post your naked photo on Twitter, on Similar Worlds, on Facebook (with blurs if needed), or on whatever other non-nudist site you post on.

Posting nude photos on nudist sites like Naktiv is preaching to the choir. The rest of the world needs to become used to seeing human bodies as a regular part of every day life. And, WE need to become used to being seen by the public as part of our everyday lives.

When your mother, your friend, your office mate sees your photo just tell them that you are a NORMAL human not ashamed to be seen as human.

I post my selfies every day on Twitter and Similar Worlds. I go out talking photos in the world to have more to post. I also post my daily selfie on my computer background "wallpaper." I have the experience of seeing myself as others see me.

Take the challenge. CLAIM Yourself and your right to be you. And have fun taking interesting pictures of yourself in interesting normal places. OK GO!

There is this TV commercial I've seen several times lately. Some guy opens the hood (bonnet) of his car to change his oil. He finds a little man (dressed in car racing outfit) standing on top of his engine. The little man explains the benefit of a particular kind of motor oil.

The regular size man asks the little man, “May I ask you a question? Why are you 3 inches tall?”

The little man turns it around and asks, “Why aren't you 3 inches tall?” (That is a very good question.)

I think that's the attitude I've developed about being naked. When I see prudish people with fabric covering their bodies I wonder, “why are you all covered up.” I wonder the same question about Muslim full body covers and Christian middle body covers. Why is your beautiful human body all covered up in ugly uncomfortable unhealthy fabric?

That is the real question. It is not “Why are we naked.” The harder question is, “Why aren't you (others) naked?”

The road past my house is not very well traveled. Sometimes one can wait half an hour without any vehicles at all. There are only about 4 homes and 6 farms in the 10 miles south to where it ends at a crossing road. The crossing road also goes across a small creek where a canoe or flat bottom boat can navigate to a nice lake for fishing, etc. In summer we get some boat traffic, maybe 6 per day.

Last evening I took a bag of trash out to my trash bin at the road. As I walked toward the bin I heard a car coming from the south. I ignored it and kept walking, holding the trash at my side. I was maybe 75 feet from the trash bin and 100 feet from the road when a red pickup went past. In the back of the pickup was 4 or 5 brightly colored kayaks or paddle boats of some kind. Lake people. I couldn't see how many people were in the pickup. They probably got a quick look at my front side as they passed. They drove on past and soon rounded the corner to my north (left).

I walked on out to my bin and put the trash in. I stood there for a moment wondering what I should do next when a vehicle rounded the corner to my north, headed south. I closed the trash bin lid and began walking up the driveway toward my house. As they passed I glanced over my shoulder and saw it was the same pickup again, this time headed south. I was again about 100 feet from the road. I kept walking away. The pickup passed by.

I had gotten maybe another 100 feet when the same pickup pulled up and stopped in front of my driveway to get a better look. I'm sure they appreciate the view of my beautiful older gluteus maximus, my crack between them, bare back, bare feet, long thinning grey hair, etc.

I came to the part of my driveway where it goes up a hill and then around a corner. As I continued walking up my hill the pickup drove off. I do hope they enjoyed seeing a beautiful older man taking out his trash. They devoted time and energy into having a look.

Whomever they were it gives them an opportunity to encounter and see a human being engaged in ordinary non-confrontational activity. I enjoy being seen and appreciated naked, just a beautiful human being.

Today I was picking my car up after an oil change and a couple of minor repairs, window motor, etc. It needed oil and maintenance after my road trip across America, see prior blog. Our mechanic is on the far side of Spokane, WA, about 35 miles from our home. My wife dropped me off. I picked up the key and paperwork, then I started out. The car needed gas so I stopped in a Fred Meyer gas station.

While filling my tank I was thinking about driving home naked. It was a wonderful warm summer afternoon. The gas place was pretty busy, I wondered if I should dare to take my shorts and shirt off in such a busy place. Soon my gas was full, and the other car in front of me had left. The guy on the other side of the pump was minding his own business. So off came my shorts. I folded them, put them into the car, and climbed in. Then I took off my shirt, buckled my seat belt, and off I went naked.

I took the shortcut through the Fred Meyer lot and came out on the other street headed toward I-90. Lots of traffic in the lot. The other street has 3 lanes each direction but I've been there often enough to know not to be in the curb lane. As I approached I-90 I looked in my mirror and noticed that I had forgotten to replace my gas cap, it was hanging down. The door was open too. Drat! My mind had been on getting naked and not on taking care to close the gas fill.

Instead of getting onto I-90, I crossed over and turned onto another side street. Soon I drove into a hotel parking and stopped next to another car. I got out (naked) and closed the gas fill. Then I got back in and headed for I-90 again.

I-90 through Spokane is 20 miles of 6 to 8 lanes of busy traffic on a sunny afternoon before rush hour. Its so much more comfortable to be naked rather than having pants bunched up around your stuff.

In 20 minutes I was at my turnoff. Then its another 5 miles, through a small town, and 10 more miles through the woods to my place. At the small town I'm on Main Street, narrow, cars parked, sidewalks, pedestrians, stop lights, etc. Its a good day to be naked.

When I finally get to my final turn I'm still wanting to be out and about naked rather than arriving at home. I go on by. A couple miles farther I stop at a wide place. I get out, walk around the car naked, stand there for a few moments enjoying the wonderful summer air on my skin. Then back in the car and home. I park at my driveway, get out, walk across the road naked to check my mail. Got a bank notice. Then up the driveway and arriving home naked.

Its hard to understand why so many people are always so uncomfortably covered up while driving. Life is too good when you forget their rules. Carpe Diem.

Last week I was in Albuquerque, NM, USA. On Tuesday morning I left my hotel and drove to a gas station to fill up for my trip home. After the tank was full I shucked off my shirt and shorts standing between the pump and my Ford Windstar van. Then I hopped in and drove north on NM 550 toward Farminton. An hour or so later I pulled off on a side road near Cuba, NM, to get out and take a pee. It was a beautiful morning to be naked in the world with the sun shining. I walked around my van, appreciated the sunshine on my body, got back in and continued on northward.

I drove right on through Bloomfield, Farmington, and Shiprock, NM. Then I turned northward on 491 toward Cortez, Colorado, still driving naked. By now I had to pee again so I pulled off on another side road and enjoyed the morning sun again while taking care of an important body function. What a nice day.

I drove through Colorado and then needed to stop for gas in Moab, Utah. I pulled on my shirt and shorts as I stepped out of my van at the gas pump. Since it was about noonish I polled over and reparked, then went into the store and got a Subway sandwich to go. Having gotten my sandwich I shucked off my clothes again as I climbed back into my van. Driving naked through Utah on Highway 191 I made another body function stop on a side road before we came to Price, UT. From Price I drove naked over the mountains on Highway 6 to meet I-15 at Spanish Fork. By now it was afternoon rush hour and I cruised naked through Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah, before coming to my overnight stop at a Days Inn in Brigham City, Utah. Alas, I had to put my shorts and shirt on to check in.

The next morning I put my stuff in the van including my shirts and shorts. Then I walked around the van for a final tire inspection before climbing in naked and heading north on I-15 again. I cruised past Pocatello and Idaho Falls, Idaho. I finally stopped for gas at Butte, Montana. They had another Subway at the gas in Butte so I got another sandwich for lunch. Have to wear shorts and shirts (but not shoes) in these stores. I didn't wear any shoes the whole trip.

After lunch I again offed my clothes, got in, and headed west on I-90. Not far from Missoula, MT, I had to take another pee break on a sided road. I enjoy my brief outside exercise walking around the van in the sunshine checking tires and feeling the world on bare skin. A couple hours later I crossed into Idaho. Sometimes I stopped at official "rest areas" for a quick break from driving. With all the people around I feel obligated to wear my shorts and shirt into the restrooms. I try to park toward the end of the line of cars when parking naked, but the truth is that nobody is paying attention to other people coming and going.

By the end of the day on Wednesday I arrived home at my place about 20 miles out of Spokane, WA. Still driving naked, of course. Total naked driving trip about 1,300 miles.

Clothes are just uncomfortable when driving. They always bunch up around your crotch and your shirt scotches up on your back. Naked is just better. People are so silly.

My sister has spent most of her life indoors, reading, playing D&D, watching TV, social media, etc. Her daughter pretty much followed mom's example, and so did her granddaughter. Now I learn that sister has a rare kind of cancer, my niece already had cancer that had been surgically removed. My grand niece had a broken wrist and was diagnosed with severe deficiency of Vitamin D causing weak bones. That compares to myself and my kids who grew up running naked through the woods, camping, hiking, and playing outside.

I have read that Vitamin D is very helpful fighting cancer, so much that exposure to sunshine prevents more skin cancer than chemical sun blocker. I got to wondering if the cultural trend toward children (and adults) sitting inside in front of screens instead of going outside in the sunshine is now a factor in cancer risk? Of course we are all sitting here by our screens, but we nudists tend to get outside as soon as spring happens and the snow melts.

Has anyone else noticed a correlation between friends or family members getting cancer and an indoor screen oriented life style? What about thin bones, breaks, injuries, or other medical problems? Is there medical data or are there studies on this? Wondering.