The Best Thing About Naturism Might Not Be Being Naked

That probably sounds like a strange thing for somebody running Naturism Wales to say, but the longer I do this, the more convinced I become that it’s true.

Naturism may begin with taking our clothes off, but what keeps many of us coming back is people.

I’ve watched it happen repeatedly. Somebody arrives at an event for the first time wondering whether they’ll fit in. Then someone makes them a cuppa, another person starts chatting about campervans, dogs, music or holidays, and within an hour they’re laughing with people who were complete strangers earlier that day.

Suddenly, being naked isn’t the remarkable part.

Belonging is.

That feels particularly important as September comes to an end. The warmer months give us plenty of opportunities to gather outdoors, but naturism doesn’t disappear when the temperature drops. Neither should the friendships we’ve made.

Welsh Government figures show that 13% of people in Wales were classed as lonely, while 36% said they missed having people around.  Loneliness isn’t always about physically being alone either. Sometimes it’s simply lacking people around whom you can completely be yourself.

Perhaps naturism offers something rather special there.

Once the initial novelty of nudity disappears, bodies quickly become ordinary and people become interesting. We discover shared experiences, ridiculous senses of humour, common interests and occasionally friendships we would never have expected.

That’s why I don’t want Naturism Wales simply to become thousands of names on a membership list. Community isn’t measured by how many people join. It’s measured by whether people feel noticed, welcomed and connected when they get here.

Acceptance, Kindness, Respect and Community aren’t supposed to be decorative words. They’re something we should experience through one another.

So as autumn arrives, perhaps our challenge isn’t finding ways to keep naturism alive through winter.

Naturism is how we live.

Our challenge is keeping each other connected.

Who have you met through naturism that you’re genuinely glad came into your life?