So since my last post, which was AUGUST, I have been living and breathing grad school. Accepting it as my full time job, I am successfully getting through it, but not without sacrifice. Other than school, I've been interpreting part time and going to naturist events here in DC. One thing that I am really enjoying about DC is the naturist community here and the GNI members that live here. Since there are regular events here, I am fortunate to see them often, which as made it easier to "come to terms" with not going to the last gathering.
I've definitely been able to take the opportunity to talk about naturism to people that would probably never consider it. Although they haven't actually tried it yet, I am well on the way to getting them to some events here in DC, then maybe GNI. Right now though, I'm going to start small and go from there. Recently, I got an email from my website regarding an individual who was older, but was reluctant to try naturism even though he had been a home naturist for many years. He was concerned with the age groups and was looking for something with a well diverse age range. This struck me as somewhat amazing, because even though this person was far removed from my generation, he still felt a connection with my generation. I directed him as best as I could to the resources that he needed, but it made me think about how we are all just looking for people like us, so we don't feel alone.
Sometimes we become reluctant to seek out one's like us because if we are rejected then we might feel ultimately alone. I told this person that no matter what age someone is, they should seek out communities that they feel comfortable with. We only get to live one life, and I don't see why we have to sit in our mundane lives wondering what might be. We can sit in chat forums, visit all the naturist websites regularly, join facebook groups, and feel like we are apart of a larger community, but the truth is, it's a false sense of community. Community happens with real people. Real people that can potentially hurt you or make you feel welcome. It's the negative that makes us feel reluctant to be around real people sometimes. It's a lot easier to flirt with a profile online than with someone at a bar. What I'm saying is use the internet to meet people, use the internet to find places to get naked, but don't live on the internet. There are clubs, gatherings, and events that you can go to and without you guys, these places won't exist.
Ironically I'm using the internet to create this message, but I think it's an important one.
Stay Naked,
Nick
www.wedoitnaked.com
