My comment posted to the Bangor Daily News article "Nude bowlers breaking no laws in Old Town":I have read many of the comments posted here and decided to chime in. Since when has inexperience and lack of knowledge lead to accurate wisdom? Anyone who have never been nude for an extended period of time (greater than two hours) and/or have never seen non-sexual nudity even in photographs cannot accurately comment on the sort of people who are nudists.
There is no more comforting feeling than having absolutely nothing but fresh air touching your skin. Nudists are not even nude for the purpose of being seen or even to see others -- it's all for that wonderfully relaxing feeling.
Some non-nudists may make rather childish comments concerning people's bodies -- some of these comments are about sexuality other are about "ugly" people. In full honesty, when a group of people are all nude together they become almost visually indistinct. It's amazing how similar the bodies of men, women, young, and old really are. What's more amazing is how nudity seems to draw attention to people's faces -- making it easier to maintain eye contact.
It's amazing how the longer one experiences nudity the less one wants to spoil the simple, innocent joy of the occasion with even thoughts of sex. Such thoughts of sexuality even become almost impossible -- even with deliberate concentration on the subject. These are simple truths nudists everywhere appreciate.
Many people may feel nudity is not appropriate for children. There have actually been a number of studies concerning the development of nudists and they overwhelmingly agree that nudity has a positive impact on a child's development -- many people raised in nudist households could attest to this. These studies have shown that on average nudists are more intelligent, less sexually deviant, more confident, more successful, have better relationships, choose to wait longer before losing their virginity, are healthier mentally and physically, and even make more money than society as a whole. This is not surprising.
To those who consider nudity to be immoral, I propose that the censuring human anatomy is immoral. The mere hiding of body parts draws attention to them and even causes an inaccurate perception of these parts.
A child in today's world goes through life wondering what's so wrong and dirty about a man or woman's genitalia. Every time he attempts to find answers to ever accumulating questions he is stopped. If his mother sees him running around the house nude he is chased down and forced to 'wear something before somebody sees him.' If he is sneaking a peek at a picture of someone naked he is punished and sent to his room. If he is caught telling a dirty joke he might have heard in school he is sent to the principal's office for a stern talking to.
Where does he turn for answers? His parents? An adult? They instilled in him a fear of getting in trouble. More likely than not he will turn to fellow school mates and the internet for answers. His friends, however, know as little as he does and the internet overwhelmingly conveys an inaccurate portrayal of anatomy.
It is easy for him to become ensnared by internet pornography. His addiction, of course, will not begin with a sexual interest in the subject matter. In fact, many of the images he sees will likely make him feel nauseous -- with all the fluids involved.
The connection between the human body and sexual stimulation has to be learned -- it is the same as Pavlov's Dog experiment. The dog hears a bell and is given some food. This repeats and eventually the dog begins salivating at only the sound of the bell -- which is not at all related to the pleasure of eating food. It is an involuntary reaction to the expectation of something pleasurable possibly happening. Since both masturbating and the seeing of naked people are forced to be done in seclusion this relationship is commonly formed. Going back to the story of the kid, his first addiction will be to the thrill of doing something dangerous. He could get caught at any moment -- he could get in so much trouble. He feels, in effect, like a spy perusing top secret documents. He nervously glances about the room -- quick to close the browser at the slightest sound. This thrill -- this game -- is the first addiction.
After a few weeks, or months, merely looking is no longer as thrilling. He sees if he could get away with exposing himself -- knowing it takes longer to zip up than to close a window. After some time (maybe even up to a year) he begins experimenting by imitating the images on the screen. It is not until after this experimentation does pornography begin to become something sexually stimulating to him. It is some time later until he becomes addicted to pornography.
This same experience happens more often than many people may care to acknowledge. This all stemmed from curiosities, unanswered questions, and strict rules and limitations placed upon him. The farther back the pendulum of bodily knowledge and experience is held the farther in the opposite direction it will swing after those in authority lose their grip -- from one highly inaccurate perception to another.
Now let's consider someone raised in a nudist environment. Throughout life he ran, swam, ate, talked to friends, learned from his parents, watched tv, read books, rode bikes, went bowling, and did everything else nude and around other people who were also nude. To him the human body is associated not with one limited aspect of life -- sex -- but with ALL aspects of life. He has accurate experience and knowledge concerning all parts of both male and female anatomy. No topic is too taboo to discuss with his parents because they will be talking to him about body parts he is already familiar with. He might not know what sex is or what if feels like, but he does know what a penis is and what a vagina is. He can more easily be taught the moral responsibility of using these parts.
If the sight of public nudity was a common occurrence in every day life many of society's problems will not be eliminated, but they will be lessened considerably. Fewer would be interested in pornography, since, for the most part, people would have a greater maturity concerning the human body and bodily functions. Nobody would become loud, boisterous, or rude at the sight of a naked or topless woman. Some may argue that rape would increase if everyone was naked, but what they do not consider is that rape is not about sex -- it's about power and control. It's difficult to know for a certainty what society as a whole would be like if public nudity was acceptable, but using the lives of nudists as an example of what it could be would indicate that it would be a very good thing.
I not only believe people should be allowed to bowl nude, they should be allowed to do it unsegregated from the rest of society. This, however, will not come about any time in the near future. I could only hope and wait.
Does anybody know when the next nude bowling event will take place? This, and other nude activities, should be given greater public attention -- allowing more people a greater opportunity in joining the fun.
