Nudity - Its Whys and Wherefores

By KENNETH CONNOR

WHY do so many people of to-day, though we call ourselves advanced in civilization and scientific knowledge, seem so shocked when the human body is uncovered in the presence of others? Why does the young bride, even for years after marriage, undress behind the clothes closet door? Why do so many rapidly developing young women, say about seventeen or eighteen years of age, even permit married men to make love to them? These, and many such pertinent questions could be asked about human life and human nature as we study the privilege or inadvisability of joining a nudist camp. Such questions are answered in myriad ways, and, sad to say, the greater majority of answers are wrong and largely because of traditional prejudice, religious bigotry, formalism, fear, thinking in a 'rut', and other unjustified and illegitimate arguings.

Few there be who have the courage of their convictions! Few there be who take the advice of Shakespeare who said, "We must not stint our necessary actions, In the fear to cope malicious censures."

The fact is, that we all desire at one time or another to be free from these fetters of the historical past, and to really enjoy the great and lovely out-of-doors without so burdening our systems with a mass of unnecessary clothing. Custom and social status, both of which are often dead wrong, unnerve us and prevent the fullest and most robust development of the bodies God has given us. If our forefathers have done one thing more effectively than another for us in thus cluttering our minds with prejudices, it is that theyhave created a fear and shame within us that is not thoroughly intelligent, sane nor highly moral. They have shouted "wolf, wolf", when there is really not any wolf to trouble the human flock. I rather imagine that they have tried very hard to fashion us after their own heart, and, because sex has occupied their own minds so much and thereby have become depraved, they imagine that as they live their own lives they can judge their neighbors (children).

In all Art there is nothing so lovely as the thoroughly developed human body. Putting all lasciviousness aside and thinking of the perfectness of human body as God has made it, there is no fair-minded individual who does not really love to look upon the figure of a well poised woman in the nude. Just watch these so-called professional reformers in an art gallery. You will usually find them standing for hours before the statue or painting of a woman without clothing. One is almost forced to the conclusion that these prudists simply desire all the appreciation of beauty for themselves rather than share it with their fellows. Woe betide the man who has not exercised his will power enough to keep his mind above his waist-line and who has not grown in judgment and sanity so that he can concentrate on the beauty, form, healthiness and cleanliness, rather than upon his glandular sex enthusiasms. I would do well to read such a book as "Sane Sex Life and Sane Sex Living" by Dr. H. W. Long of the U. S. Medical Reserve Corps. I imagine that a careful study of this book would clarify his mind as to attitudes and actions, concerning the human anatomy.

Nov, I wish to tell some of my own experiences to illustrate the wisdom of proper educational methods, in tearing away the partition in our minds regarding proper attitudes toward the bare body as seen by others. Recalling my experiences in the old land "Wax Works" I have a vivid recollection of how the authorities placed placards near the figures, and which read "Please do not touch;" "Please do not Handle." Better had it been for the authorities and the figures had they not placed these cards, for, humanly enough. the larger number of visitors to these institutions would try to press the thumb or fore finger into the wax. We usually find the 'don't' of our environmental development urge us on to action. If there was a logically correct and legitimate sex education given our youth at proper periods, this curiosity bump would not only not grow but would actually be destroyed for such excitement. Information would be disseminated readily and educated youth would not become excited, but would take these matters of sex just like they take the bathing beaches. No one seems to find fault nowadays even with the greatest brevity in bathing suits. We have become sensibly educated to their use and convenience.

When I was in social and missionary work in one of our great metropolitan centres of America, it was my opportunity to study the results of good education, poor education, and no education at all regarding the proper care and understanding of the body. A group of girls could undress and swim together without gossipy and unfair criticism. A group of young men could do likewise. But, to allow the sexes to intermingle, would be a most serious social blunder. However, where there was sensible education and plain facts properly discussed, there were fewer forced marriages, blighted lives, diseased bodies. Accordingly as educational methods were used so were the results. But, always in favor of plain and unartificial teaching and study. My greatest heartbreaks were with those whose parents did not inform their children of life's social problems and who commanded their offspring to keep themselves thoroughly coveted at all times. especially when members of the opposite sex were present.

Once, when I and my little family were on vacation, I had the opportunity to talk much with a fine young woman of eighteen years whose parents shunned talking about the body in a natural clean way, and who demanded that their daughter be in the house at an early evening hour. She could not associate with young men, except behind the backs of her parents. One evening she insisted that I make love to her, and her beauty and likeableness presented a strong temptation. Her innocence and ignorance caused me a pain of mentality. She wore only a lovely bathrobe and light undergarment: she cast the former off. That gave me a chance to offer the sort of sane advice which her parents ought to have given her years before. But, I advised her to invite three of her young friends,—two boys and one other girl.—and my wife and I would take a hike with them next day. This was arranged and we walked and talked over a five mile stretch of sand, blueberry bushes and shrubbery to the shore of a large lake. The place was entirely uninhabited and nobody else appeared to handicap us in our little scheme. After resting for a time I made the proposal that we should all take a dip. One young man and this particular girl hesitated much, but when they saw the others undress they took courage and joined the general rush for the inviting water. In a very few minutes every one had forgotten prudery and were completely unabashed, each by the other's nudity. After a half hour we all came in to the shore and stretched out on the beach. We enjoyed the sun bath, had another brief dip and then dressed. Needless to state, every one had a most gorgeous and unusual time. They begged to return next day but the plans could not be worked out. However, this outing of the former day was repeated several times during the vacation period. After this simple and uncondemnable experience, it became easy for this young woman to talk of sex and its problems in the most natural manner, and, instead of receiving the proper sex education from her parents, she became their teacher.

To-day we are educated to the values of direct rays from the sun and medical men throughout our great nation advocate sun baths daily for various human complaints and diseases. Why not PREVENT disease by an adherence to common case and practice, and so depart from an old traditionalism which impoverishes our vitality? It is a foregone conclusion that medical men in general do not emphasize the values of uncovering the human body to the benefit of sun rays. If that was done too much their practice would suffer severely for it is true that "PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE." There is perhaps no better paying business to-day in the United States than the drug business. But, nudist camp operators can testify that the drug stores and doctors get very little business from members of these health-giving communities. Most human ills be-gin with mental attitudes and these attitudes create a multiplicity of bodily pains and aches. With plenty of God's sunshine upon the anatomy without clothing interference, there is created such a robust health condition that the mentality becomes keen, joyous and optimistic.

One evening. in a company of some eight or nine young folks who went hiking. I witnessed an embarrassing scene for a young woman in the group. She was climbing a wire fence and accidentally fell, catching her dress on the top wire. Her clothing was badly torn and her thigh was scratched to some length. It was necessary to administer first aid but she did not desire to uncover the wound so that this could be administered. I immediately pulled the skirt off entirely and informed her that we would have to dress that wound whether or not. There was no one in that group, I informed her, who had an unclean mind but all urged that blood poisoning must be averted. Her parents had neglected to admonish her properly, and, I assure my readers, that young lady had nothing to be ashamed of in her beautifully rounded-out body and clean soft skin. It was the sort of skin "you love to touch," and did not particularly require any artificial treatment or special soap. She had lived in cleanliness after being born pure red blood. Now, if this young woman had been educated properly and had lived for a few weeks in a nudist camp there would have been no embarrassment at all and no mock modesty.

Perhaps one of the most disturbing social changes in our modern life and educational centers is that of the acceptance of men's habits and vices by the opposite sex such as smoking, drinking and interests which were once believed to be highly immoral. Our forefathers believed that certain habits or carnal affinities were allowable by the male sex only, and that women must walk 'the chalk line' in such privileged matters. Now, however, the social status has changed radically and women rightly demand equality. True, too sudden changes are rarely ever advisable and there are numerous arguments against a woman smoking, drinking and engaging in other interests which men heretofore thought legitimate for themselves alone. Personally I do not hesitate to speak vehemently against the use of excessive smoking, and the use of alcoholic beverages for the mothers and future mothers of our nation. But, if our educators and parents would teach moral and the physical health as much as they advocate mental health, and if they would permit and perhaps chaperon parties of young folks of both sexes in trips to bathing places and outing camps, where all could participate in sun bathing, the greatest problem of to-day in social etiquette for educational institutions would be solved. The supposedly sanctimonious parents would more fully enjoy intimacy with their children and the latter would more freely discuss with their parents the many problems of their physical, mental and moral changes during adolescence. The fear, lack of trust and critical attitude of most parents deny the growing children the truest joys of early life. Better were it that these parents spend much more time and effort to understand their off-spring's anatomical changes and be in the home during evening hours rather than attending the numerous card parties, dances, and prayer meetings. After all the home is the very centre of better national life and this is where boys and girls should learn the values of perfect development of body, mind and heart.

Co-operative with the good American home we find a growing demand for out-door life in properly conducted nudist camps. Prudists and reformers will fight the effort to continue and develop these camps. but a few narrow-minded individuals cannot stem the tide of progress in sane living and clean thinking.

If space would permit and it would seem advisable in this article to relate stories of a multitude of young people who have come to me for advice in such matters as I have discussed, I could give heart-rending illustrations of illegitimately suppressed desires on the part of splendid young folks because of the ignorance of their elders, who misinformed them and caused them grief through prejudiced and traditional admonitions. Some have over-stepped the mark of liberty and accepted license after leaving the old home to face the harshness of this old world's selfishiness and struggle. Let one example suffice.

In one fine family of unusually religious people of rather ultra-conservative views, there were three daughters and one son. The latter was second in the family. When any or all of the girls attended a party, or even a church service, either a parent or the brother must necessarily go along to see that all was well. The girls were not very old when they began to resent this checking up and asked their parents to call a halt in this practice. The request was not granted. However, the older girl was invited to spend a few weeks with an uncle and aunt who lived in a larger city center. Upon her return home, her father and mother found that she had very rapidly acquired the habits of smoking and swearing, and she was accordingly reproved. With hasty retort they were told to mind their own business as she was well over the age of independence, and that she had been held under their thumbs altogether too long already.

Now, I do not for one minute praise the action of the three young women for they were dead wrong. But, I do most heartily condemn the attitude and actions of the parents in the home. Better had it been for them all if these fine, healthy specimens of womanhood had been trusted, educated and loved by unprejudiced and broad-minded parents. Such extremes on the part of both these parents and daughters, are not only dangerous but condemnatory and disastrous. "Call a spade a spade" is not a foolish statement, and, as children reach certain stages of their development, do not be afraid to tell them the whole truth about themselves. You will most readily acknowledge, if you look about you in social circles, that those who 'go wrong' are usually those who have not been properly informed of the results which are sure to follow certain actions.

Let the young folks choose their ways but be sure to make clear to them what the harvest will be when the various classes of seeds are sown. Let them mix with the opposite sex so that all parts of the human body are known each by the other. Nudist camps are the best educators in this regard and membership should give parents and educators something worthwhile to think about for the benefit of young folks to-day.