Current mood: mellow

The Ranting Stephen: The Groovy Revolution

Have you ever been naked before? Ever? (Yes you have. That's obviuous.)

Have you recently seen someone naked? In real life, not in porn I mean.

Have you ever been naked, fully naked, in a public place, with people who are practicaly strangers? Ever done a naked cartwheel?

No?

There's something about being comfortably naked that is truly a liberating experience. People are naked all the time in the privacy of their own home. That is where they are comfortable with themselves (regardless of whatever self esteem issues they may have). When they are naked and alone, there is no one to judge them, to stare and point, play bongoes on their belly fat...

But outside of the cave, there is a world full of prying eyes, that size you up even when you are fully clothed. Outside, there are bodily ideals and beliefs that if you don't look a certain way, head-to-toe, then you shouldn't be seen naked. This is why some people feel the need to dress themselves up before they go out anywhere. Not necessarily out to be seen, but outside in general. They want to present themselves as "viewer freindly" (for lack of a better term). And it isn't the below average looking people either, it's from all ranks on the "hotness" scale. (again, for lack of a better term).

And it's because of this that the world neeeds clothing. To hide behind. Being nude in public is considered lewd because people can't accept the fact a person has the audacity to be naked in front of people.

But when you are naked. Fully and utterly in the nude, there is nothing to hide behind. No make-up, no form disguising blacks, no attention grabbing underwear, no nothing. It's only you.

And there, in that moment, is freedom.

At first, there is a rush of exhiliration from being naked in front of someone. It feels sort of like the feeling you get when you think you are about to be caught doing something you know you shouldn't be. Then you brace yourself to look at the other poeple, to say if they are staring or laughing at your figure. But they're not. Then you try to keep your hands preoccupied because you don't know what to do with them, you don't really have any pockets for them after all. For a little bit you wonder what they are thinking, how they are judging you. But by then they are naked too and then you just feel awkward at how comfortable they are with themselves compared to your shyness. But then again, you're glad that you're not the only one. You feel safer, more secure inside yourself.

But when you finally let go, when you see there is no reason to fear your flesh anymore, you are released. You accept the fact that you are naked, that there are other naked people amongst you, and that there is nothing sexual about it. You're just you.

And then comes the excitement of that realization. You have all this energy that keeps saying "Look At Me! I'm Naked" and you just want to jump around for a bit. Put on some music and bounce off the walls. You say there is no reason to fear and you go for it. Whose going to judge you? The rest of the naked bunch?

Then you look for activities to do. Maybe you feel like cooking something, or watching tv. Maybe you want to color or play games. Or maybe you want to do gymnastics. So go and do it. You talk, you laugh, and you get over it. So what. I'm naked and I'm loving it.

Then you run out of things to do. It's dark and it's time to go home. You laugh to yourself saying that you don't even need to get dressed. After all, who wants to get back into the cages they just broke out of? But you do anyway. You go back into the world and you start seeing people differently. Seeing people naked in a non-sexual way almost changes your view of nudity entirely. Almost.

For me, it was the most liberating thing I've ever done for myself. Prior to then, I'd never been seen stark naked by anyone in my entire life. It forges a bond with people, the "I've seen yours and you've seen mine" bond. (I gave it a name). It has changed my view of life. It's already simple enough.

Why not be naked?

This is the groovy revolution. A Body Is a Beautiful Thing.