125 runners had registered for the race, and 108 actually crossed the finish line (the image is of me crossing the line). I did better than I expected for my time (39:04 mins), especially given the trail we were running. It was cross country, and quite a few hills. Thankfully most of the trail had been graded for the run, so it was less troublesome than the “practice run” I had done a couple of weeks before.

Bluebonnet is a great venue, and I think I’m going to be spending more and more time up that way in the new year. I’ve already signed up for the first race in the series in April!

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Let’s go back a week or so. I was sitting at home, and decided to research some groups on Facebook relating to naturism (or nudism). As happens when you find a group that you are interested in, you click on the “join this group” button, and then you look over the group, and see what other groups are related to this one. You visit the next one, you like, and you click on the “join this group” button … so on and so forth. As you add these groups to your Facebook profile, Facebooks reports these to your friends through mini-feeds.

It appears that my adding of these groups was the one thing that was not only noticed by my Facebook friends, they reacted. What surprised me by the activity that was generated from my group jumping and joining, was that I’ve done this before … only with other subject matter (e.g. gay groups, same-sex marriage groups, VT tragedy groups). Nothing has received the level of interest from my friends more than joining nudism groups.

So before I go on any further, let me say “I’m a naturist (nudist).” There it’s been said and blogged!

So getting back to the reactions. Don’t get me wrong, most of them were positive, and I don’t think I got any real negative comments. The fact that the action that I took generated as much “feedback” as it did is what amused me the most.

As I’ve been exploring more and more about naturism in the USA (and TX), I’ve found that there are two things which people generally misunderstand: (1) it’s not normal; and (2) it’s only about sex.

First, let’s discuss “normal.” If it weren’t for the hangups relating to number 2, then most people would consider being nude far more normal than what it is today. I like to remind people that Adam and Eve were naked for most of their time in the Garden of Eden. Why eating an piece of forbidden fruit (something sex is often referred to as being) caused the shame that required the body to be covered is beyond me. It was not because they were naked that God banished them out of the garden, it was for breaking His law. I also like to say that we are born naked, which is the most natural way of being, and we are the only creation of God, or evolved creature that covers up its body. (Note, this is not a religious argument, just an observation.)

Secondly, sex. My understanding is this. If you are comfortable with your body, and you haven’t been brainwashed by individuals who are hung up about their own and other bodies, then being clothed or not, does little to encourage or discourage sex. In fact, I would argue that the way that many people dress today, I would rather people be nude, as very little is left to the imagination anymore, and it the imagination (or fantasy) that often drives the sexual feelings. Now of course, there will be those that think if I see a naked body, then I have to have sex with that body. These people are not the norm, and in all reputable naturist or nudist organizations this kind of behavior is discouraged, and violaters are removed from said group.

It comes down to this. If I want to be “clothes free” and I’m not offending anyone (a reasonable anyone that is), then what does it really matter to anyone?

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