I think the days of good, old fashioned naturism are behind us. With the Corona virus crisis still going strong (and unfortunately getting stronger again), there is no outlook for going back to how things were before this year, in my eyes.
I’m perfectly happy to hear anyone disagree. The old times weren’t so bad, right? But the old times weren’t the best either. Naturism was looked at as something bad by many people.
Who knows, maybe this social distancing encourages more people to try naturism with the new normal that will undoubtedly appear.
Why do I dare think that?
Body shame is the name of that game. I’m convinced that many people would love to give naturism a try, but they are ashamed of their body not being the perfect beach boy and girl shape. You know the type. They are the bodies we don’t see at nude beaches and resorts either.
If people are ‘forced’ to keep more distance, perhaps more people will feel inclined to undress near others. Because the extra distance will make them ‘less visible’, even when it’s just a psychological distance. 1 metre / 3 feet can do a lot for someone who is insecure, I think.
It is a pity things may never go back to this, but who knows, if everyone wears a mask, there are still possibilities. I think it’s important to look at what is possible in the coming days. As long as we gaze at what was lost, progress will be at a standstill, and no one is served by that.
Taking nude hikes should be fine if people keep their distance as well. People from the same family are still able to stick together. People who know and trust others to be virus-free can be closer together as well. And for those who don’t trust things, it is still possible to enjoy being with others while relaxing nude on a beach or at a resort. It will be a bit louder, because talking over 6ft requires a bit more volume, but regular beaches etc. aren’t the quietest places anyway, so that’s no biggie, right?
Let’s look forward. I’m game.
Are you still “nude” if you are wearing a mask?
Of course, nudity [the the resulting openness etc.] are as much a state of mind as a state of body.
Wearing a mask, while otherwise nude, could be advantageous. If someone disapproves, they would never know who you are? 🙂
So true! That reminds me of a joke. Thank you. I will use that joke in a future post!
I cannot speak for naturism as a whole, but I can tell you that the ‘strictly social’ nudist events I used to attend were populated with a range of body types well beyond the beach body ideal*.
IMO, a major factor in a ‘new normal’ failing to coalesce and establish itself is the lack of solid medical data. Without that, one cannot make informed decisions regarding what’s safe and what isn’t. For example: Suppose I get a test and get an instant negative result. I then pick up the virus a couple of hours later. How long do I have until I become contagious? If it were 72 hours, then I could take a test Friday afternoon and a negative result allow me to safely NOT be socially distant over the weekend and resume social distancing Monday morning.
At present we’re stuck following Universal Precautions. That puts a bit of a damper on pretty much everything.
*I deliberately did not use quotation marks because what mainstream media and (as a result) society portray as ideal or even acceptable is not really open for debate. That ‘ideal’ and ‘acceptable’ are both unrealistic doesn’t change this
Very true. All this stuff makes nude life in the outside a lot more difficult. (Inside, with strangers, too.)
I don’t quite understand. What has gone?
The Covid-19 crisis in my eyes has lead to 2 things: appreciating staying at home. And not to travel too far away.
So what is the new normal?
And will this all not be just a temporary thing?
Dear Rick,
The normal freedom of hanging out together like in the old days (before March) has gone. Unless you want to risk getting COVID-19.
Keeping distance is the new normal in my eyes. And I doubt it will be a temporary thing… I hope I’m wrong.
Well, naturism is multi-faceted. Being less social as implied in the keeping whatever distance, to me doesn’t impair the way you experience your naturism. I can enjoy my beach visit, I can experience my lake swim, I might even experience my regular sauna visit (not really right season now), all with no need to be less social nor to take more distance.
If I look around at our busy beach, there’s not more or less social interaction. So that’s why I would conclude that Covid-19 at least won affect this. But as said it might be other aspects.
Hello Rick
Everyone has their own way to ‘do’ naturism. I don’t just speak for myself, I am trying to picture the more general feelings. For myself, I’m not bothered with the keeping distance either. In fact, in a way I laugh when I see the 1.5 metre/6 ft distance rule. 5 metres/15 ft is more my preferred distance!
It’s going to get worse, much worse.
They’re already preparing the waters for demanding not just masks but goggles, expect latex gloves to be next.
And then what? Not being allowed outdoors without having every square millimeter of your body covered? Seems like the logical end game and exactly what the radical morality police wants, whether muhammedan, Christian, or simply control freaks in general.