First Time
by: Robert
When I was a kid, adults gave me lots of advice. The most important thing I think was from men telling me that "common sense" beat "smarts." So every time I do anything, I always try to measure it against the common sense rule. No matter how much good it looks like, does it make good common sense? When I was in my early twenties I noticed the magazines that spoke of "Nudist Resorts" and showed pictures of nude people enjoying themselves, but in rural New Mexico, they were far away. Then came the conservative movement and even the magazines disappeared.
I married a nice simi-conservative lady who did not mind sleeping in the nude and we had a otherwise normal lifestyle after that. Now that the children are grown, I'm retired and around the house more, I have been more nude, more often with my wife's support or acceptance. Common sense told me that nudism can not be bad and a study of the Bible showed me that God has nothing against nudism. A neutrals position is more likely than anything. I discovered the web and found more and more support. Finally found an opportunity in the Oaklake Trails Resort's nude fun run, in Depew, OK. The run was set for September 1999. In August 1999, I stressed my back and could bearly walk, much less run, so I had to cancel out. This year, I was determined to go. Despite numerous minor injuries and feelings of "should I or not" since I grew up in a very fundlementalist church as a child and I found that past negative teaching was overriding my common sense. That too took some working through. However, October 14, 2000 finally came. I drove the 100 miles down to Depew under clouds that threatened rain, sort of hoping it would rain us out. It didn't and I had to go through with it.
The people at Oaklake Trails were very nice and helped me get settled and I waited until just before the race to get undressed. No pressure was put on me to get undressed and those who were nude already acted as if they had cloths on and were comfortable. so, I got undressed and in less than two minutes had forgotten that I had left the shorts behind. It was just another 5K run.
I had only one problem, that was that when I found the hot tub, which I needed because I had developed cramps in both 60 year old legs, I did not know how many people could get into it and where the shower was that the sign said I had to have before going in. I am afraid, I spent too much time looking at the tub counting people and space that three other people went past me and took up all the remaining space. So I had to take my body home instead of meeting some of the people over a hot bath. Next year, if they let me come back, I will know where the shower is and how to slide in there.
I was most impressed with the attitude of the people there. Normal. It was enjoyable and only made common sense to be worth returning to. I don't think it is right for a married man to join and go, leaving his wife at home, but if she ever opens the door to going to a nudist resort, we gone.