When I was a young boy, probably about eight, I suddenly went from being uncaring about my own nudity to what my very wise mother called mock-modest. She wasn't a nudist, who was in England in the early 1940s? And she was a regular Anglican church-goer until the end of her long life. But she was remarkably well-endowed with common sense.

She had started discussing various things with me in a logical, almost adult way, when I was two. So, as usual, she took a logical approach. She told me that I would soon be going to high school and would have to change and shower with the other boys. [This was customary in those days and it didn't do us any harm.] When I was 18, I would be called up for national service and have no privacy whatsoever. Along the way, I may have a job, or be a member of a sports club, with communal showers. And, as I went through life, I would almost certainly need medical examinations and/or procedures during which female staff would be involved. So if I grew up ashamed and embarrassed of my own body, then I would give myself plenty of unneccesary hard times. I took this to heart and just as well, because all of these things happened to me.

I've always been a logical person and realised for myself a long time ago that sleeping nude was more comfortable and wearing clothes to swim in was ridiculous. It's not a matter of what a person looks like, if that had any meaning, then some of us wouldn't be allowed to walk down the street without bags over our heads.

The fact that most Australians don't have easy access to a clothes-optional swimming area is a disgrace. A very significant number of people want this facility. It doesn't affect those who don't want to go there. It could work wonders for our tourism industry if promoted sensibly. And, no, it doesn't lead to general debauchery, such a belief comes from ignorance of the situation based on false assumptions.

Dear Rex
I almost hate to admit my naivity here, but 'communal showers' as in.... male and female together ? have I missed something along the way ? Is this a common reality in sports clubs ?

Does anyone else have any examples of male and female shower/change room situations ? as in..... no privacy for changing etc...

On the 'ashamed' about our bodies etc.. I don't see it as being about that at all. Though in this current climate where the message is constantly rammed down our throats that for men 'size does count' a man of ordinary 'size' might feel just a tad less enthusiastic about displaying his ordinaryness in public. I suppose the same might go for females with 'ordinary' breast endowment. (for the record, huge breasts do nothing for me)

The only issue I have with nudity is the male female thing where our nakedness connects to our reproductive urges which are more prone to straying into pure 'lust' when confronted with a naked choice member of the opposite sex.

Am I alone in this ? *worried look* :)

Sorry, Sylvia, but I cannot understand the need for people to appear nude at any time other than getting dressed or undressed at home. And in the shower, of course. But then, I would probably be called ‘uniformed’, ‘ignorant’ etc by some of the galahs on OLO.

However, if some people wish to have a beach where they can be nude, it doesn’t worry me – I won’t be there. We’ve had Maslin’s Beach in SA for many years, and that doesn’t seem to have had any adverse affect on the majority of South Australians or on the general tone of the place. So, why not?

BD, "Am I alone in this ? *worried look* :) " thats called entrapment David. Trying to entice us to have fun with your issues and maybe risk a deletion for flaming. So much material all so risky ;) .

Seriously though you won't be alone on that, others who share your views of modesty will probably agree. You'll be keeping company with some who you spend much of your time criticising, what irony. There are other christains who don't share your concerns about nudity.

I'm not convinced that nakedness on a beach is as erotic as some outfits designed to emphasise those bits they cover. I've seen outfits on people in church services more focussed on creating erotic appeal than a nudist on a beach can get near. Almost impossible to legislate against (and I would not want to), even if you inforce a particular dress code those who want to flaunt it will find a way to do so. I bet some Amish find a way to look sexier than other Amish wearing similar garb. Its a combination of intent by the wearer and viewer, nothing the rest of us can or should involve ourselves in.

Maybe we should set aside some secluded isolated beaches for those with poor control of their lusts or who have convinced themselves that the human body is offensive and make the rest clothing optional.

R0bert

Sylvia,

Not me!

And now, if I might go off topic, and advise that another topic to which you were posting, "Innovative Uses for Salt", has just disappeared without trace. It would appear you may be about to be deprived of credit rightfully yours for your proposal of the world-beating Salt Powered Desalinator. I have submitted the following post as a new discussion topic under the same heading of Innovative Uses for Salt. I don't know how to reach Gonzo.

"GrahamY,

After 13 posts the topic "Innovative Uses for Salt", the sole topic under the heading "Technical Support" has seemingly dropped off the face of the planet, or disappeared into the ether, or both. It is only, I think, 10 days or so since the thread was started by Gonzo, and it was his first post. Other topics seem to stay up three times as long with only half the number of posts. The second post was my first post on this forum, too. The thread had become very active, yea, productive even. Its removal seems to discriminate against the category. Does this forum have something against newbies, or Technical Support; or has someone used a bad word in a post and now we are all to be punished? Is the Forum experiencing technical difficulties, or was Sylvia's last post the Last Post for uncensored interaction?

For those not in the know, Sylvia Else had just posted a design for a revolutionary salt powered desalinator, of possible world significance, but at the least potentially of great significance here in Australia. She indicated she may have placed it in the public domain, perhaps under something like a Creative Commons license. She had indicated that she had no expectation of becoming "feelthy reech" from her proposal. Her design was innovative, and it used salt. She was right on topic, but something, or someone, appears to have hijacked Gonzo's thread. Credit where credit is due, please.

The three of us seem to have lost the thread of our discussion; we were certainly all on topic. Could you post it back? Please?"

Boaz:

"I suppose the next step (if it has not already arrived) is for bikini's to have just a thin string between the bum cheeks revealing pretty much all the rump area, perhaps then the front bit will shrink..."

Um... you should go to the beach more often. They're called g-strings (or 'thongs' in the US, believe it or not). They've been commonplace and legal on our beaches for some years now, and IMHO are decidedly more sexy than a completely naked body :)

You are aware, of course, that your logic concerning the supposedly intrinsic 'sexual' nature of the exposure of human bodies is very close to that of Islamic fundamentalists, who promote the wearing of the hijab, burkha etc precisely so that men's lust is not inflamed by the sight of hair, skin etc.

Fortunately, most of us are more confident in our abilities to contain our sexual impulses than such fundamentalist prudes are.