The second public nudity moment for me, was a visit to my naturist sister’s home lake. She talked me into it, but I’m glad I was brave enough to follow through. It was a long day, filled with socializing, a naked board meeting, lunch in the nude, outdoor walking alone in the nude, swimming naked, and observing the naturist lifestyle. There were a couple of moments of discomfort for me, when I felt too vulnerable and too exposed, and I had to cover up. I even snuck away for a bit, to a private-ish cove, and was able to take a breath and feel gratitude for the entire experience. The introvert in me, was every bit as shocked as the modest-me, but the rewards of feeling sun, water, and fresh air on my entire body all day, was worth any discomfort.

In our American society, women are especially susceptible to shame, judgment, and comparisons surrounding our own bodies. The idea of what is attractive, has been conditioned into both men and women, and has left little room for reality. With airbrushed images online, filtered pictures everywhere, and boys and men brainwashed into believing women should all look like porn stars, it’s a challenge for women to simply love our own bodies. Especially as they change due to childbirth and age.

Women, especially, are trained as young children, to adorn our ears and hair and to look “pretty” as often as possible. To smile and be agreeable and to please all those who need to be pleased. We’re meant to cover “flaws” like our natural faces and shapes, with makeup and “flattering” clothes and photo filters for our online lives. Despite the ridiculous, unneeded escalation of emotional support for the “Dad-Bod” men, we women are the hardest hit, in the self-esteem department. We are given the message that we must not have bodily needs, our bodies must forever be perfectly sculpted, and we must never be less than perfectly made up. Basically, we’ve been trained that we must be like living dolls.