I’m sorry for the delay in posting this: I’ve been dealing with the cold from hell, my first since before the pandemic. But the worst of it seems to be behind me now, and I’m finally catching up.
Our friends Simon and Helen Berriman, in London, England, have been in the news again, promoting naturism to the uninitiated in a nice article — even if some headline writers got a little bit carried away. But I am not going to critique editors’ clickbait headlines here today, as I have done in the past.
What really caught my attention last night as I was catching up was something Simon said in the New York Post version:
He compared his choice to go nude to veganism, another lifestyle that has attracted critics.
“I liken it back to veganism — not that long ago, people were really ridiculed if they said they were vegan. But now vegan has become an ethical choice,” he explained.
That got me to thinking again about the difference between social nudism and naturism, and how the latter “highlights an attitude favouring harmony with nature and respect for the environment, into which that practice is integrated,” as the entry in Wikipedia puts it. I would think that some people who consider themselves to be naturists would also lean toward veganism, or vegetarianism.
Which is not to say that social nudists wouldn’t be vegans or vegetarians, but I know that for many self-identified nudists, it is mainly about being nude whenever possible and may not be part of some holistic lifestyle.
In these troubled times, I’ve often thought that a strong global naturism movement could help heal mankind — far beyond veganism and vegetarianism. I’d like to see more of that kind of thinking, and promotion by those who have the opportunities.
What ethical contributions can naturists collectively make, under the umbrella of naturism, to save mankind, the animal kingdom and, most important of all, Mother Earth? What are we already doing that is effective?
Any ideas? (I have some, and maybe I’ll post some of them in the comments section if there is any interest.)
***
As usual, the monthly open forums here are designed for members to talk about all things naturism and nudism. You don’t have to pick up on what I’ve written. Feel free to talk about something else.
***
Our dear friend Fred has another excellent adventure waiting to be posted here. I’ll get to that tomorrow (Sunday).
***
Welcome to all the new members. Don’t be shy. Join in the conversations here, because this site was designed to be a community.
Note: If you are reading this in your email box, either click on the “Leave a comment” tab below or go to the website to have your say.
Happy March, folks. We’ll talk about the unusually warm weather in an upcoming post.
There is a beach area on North Padre Island in Texas that is designated as a national park. Padre Island National Seashore. The extreme northern part of this area butts up to an open state beach. Many clothing optional minded people go around the barrier that seperates the two beaches and, without paying entry fees to the park, walk a mile or so of beach to enjoy the sun, sea, sand nude. As a habit, when walking back to their vehicles, they readily pick up trash and debris. The National Park Rangers, knowing that these intrepid nudists are doing their part in cleaning the beach, normally leave them alone.
What better way to clean up an area, then doing it nude!
In, my version of naturism, I accept my human nature: I am an omnivore. I try to eat healthy in terms of natural ingredients, sustainably produced, humanely treated, but I eat it all.