I am always interested in the interaction of or lack thereof of neighborhoods. Due to my time schedule, I rarely even see neighbors, hence my question on invitations earlier. If people in your neighborhood know that you are a nudist, do they react coldly to you, crudely or not at all? Do they frown if they see any skin at all, even on a hot day, referring to sunburns, etc? Do they want to beat you with a stick if you go to the mailbox in your bathrobe? In my years in the neighborhood here, no one has even known about me, so I have nothing to compare to and the only notices I have seen were purely random. The house across the street was a rental. One tenant let their 2 year old play in a kiddie pool without a suit and caught hell for it. The next tenant had a daughter that was arrested for sleeping naked on a beach and was shunned for it and the house next to it had a daughter who went of the house, rummaged around her car for about five minutes to get a dress out of her car wearing only flip-flops. No one saw it except for myself and my father. Is your neighborhood more vindictive or more accepting?
Since we have dual residency, one in the US and one in another country. At my US coastal home our neighbors have no idea of our home nudity, but we don’t flaunt it either. At our rainforest compound home. We have a few friends that know about our nudity, but do not join in.Bummer. Others are clothing prudes and make small jokes about our nudist life. We are a monogamous couple and nudity for us is “not” about swinging and swapping. We do visit nude campgrounds for social interaction. I think many nudist live with being ostracized by public opinion.
My neighbourhood, which is only a few people, i accepting of my nudity and some even join in. I live in an old farmhouse so there is plenty of open land behind which is fairly private and great for walks, I sometimes meet locals but they don't mind. My neighbours in the nearby 6 cottages are accepting, but maybe because I am their landlord! None seem to mind when they visit and some join in sunbathing nude. There's a riding school in the courtyard and the few who have seen me have been accepting. One has even joined in and taken me on a naked horse-ride. I have a 2nd home at the top of a small apartment block, some there are more accepting than others, it's more of a mix there. I sunbathe nude on the roof terrace, the neighbours are used to it although not all approving. Some are more approving only when a lady is with me, they show more interest then, I can see them peering! Panama Jack's rain-forest compound sounds just so idyllic!
I grew up in a typical American suburb where the neighbors were always super judgmental. If you weren't wearing a shirt, you were a creep trying to show off. If you weren't wearing shoes, you were filthy. And heaven help you if you glance in their direction for a brief moment, or else you're leering. It was enough to make an already anxious kid paranoid as f--k. I could only long for the idea of sunbathing in my own backyard (even in my shorts!). It always made branching out from 'home' to 'social' nudity that much harder. I've never understood the nudity=perversion POV, but I've always been surrounded, if not suffocated by it. Nowadays I don't care so much about what people think, unless they think it vindictively enough to call the cops. I can't see any of the parents in this building being ok with a naked dude walking past their kids, so the worst I ever did was take the trash out in my boxers. No one said anything but, 'Hi!' And I almost always remember to throw on a robe before answering the door, mainly so that I don't frighten the sweet little old lady across the hall who often gives me food.
My wife and I don't go around telling others we are nudists. We don't deny either if asked. I hide nothing. I will post jokes or memes regarding nudity on social media. Most will make assumptions that I may be a nudist but nobody will ask either. My wife is a bit more subdued. At home I'm always nude except when our son is home. Who e lives with us. He is, aware of our lifestyle. No problem with it. Our neighbor stops by occasionally. I don't really like the guy. I will dress if I see him coming. I'm not into displaying myself. But he has seen me nude from his place which is a good distance away. He makes small tidbit remarks about it. I ignore him. My biggest problem is our sons friends. They are mostly all aware and make a game out of driving by our place or stopping in to see if they can catch me nude and tell everyone of the friends. They liked to try and degrade me about my life's choice of living nude. It has caused a few arguments amongst us. They are very immature for their ages of 35 to 40
Shall I offer a reward for the FIRST person to be born fully clothed? 'Taint no one coming down the chute wearing a 3 piece suit.
Dare, You are spot on. “Society is constantly in a state of immaturity”. This goes for nudist living as well. I have never drank the kool aid of popular belief. As I write this, my wife and I are enjoying our morning coffee, nude in the privacy of our coastal home. Man, if we could, we would invite you and your wife over for a cup. Only two members of our family know of our nude life. None on my side of the family. We have always lived our life with the attitude of “everything in moderation”.
I do live in an apartment building in a quite village-like district. The neighbors in the house are tolerant and don’t blame me if they see me nekkid. But of course, I try not to unsettle them, so for example when new tenants move in, I always make a (clothed) visit bringing flowers and a little cake to introduce myself and during this I explain that sometimes if I feel like I love going bare and ask if they wound mind meeting me in the staircase for example. As yet, this worked and so I for example can bring down the garbage or get my mail without need to hide. I have a nice big terrace and in summer do use it in the nude, and often visitors too. But there are only the three neighbors from the apartments above mine who can have a look on there, and they are ok with. To resume it, I think not all housemates appreciate nudity, but tolerate it. The other neighbors in the streets seem not to have a homogenic attitude towards it. So, I avoid to go around nude in the suburb, as I don’t want to embarrass somebody and I don’t like to be the target of taunt. But probably quite a number know about my attitude though. Time ago there was quite a gossip in the village after I had tried to bike home me from the woods without putting the rags on again, which is only a short distance along a handful of houses. I thought it would work, but obviously not all neighbors were ready for then. On the other hand, there is a family with a nice home, surrounded by a garden with a hedge around it and I sometimes noticed them going naked in their garden. But probably these are nit the ones who complained.
It's folks like you all that make me feel more confident about venturing out into social nudity. Thank you for sharing your outlooks and stories. It's encouraging to chat with people who are mature and open minded enough not to judge. You guys and gals rock.
Thank for the virtual offer Panama. We decided not to hold it from our kids after about 4 years of hiding it. It went against everything vwe had taught them about being honest with us in life . It went actually very well and kind of comical how we disclosed to them.
If they do not ask. I do not share the information. Do some know ? I have no idea. I sunbath in the yard, I work on my garden in the morning before I bother to get dressed and leave the house.. People in the neighborhood going to their mail box with a robe on ? Yes I see that often during in the warmer weather. It must not be a big deal. Other wise they wouldn't do it. Since my property is wooded I have had a few people using one secluded spot for nude sunbathing. Having stumbled across them a few times.by accident . What I see I don't share with others.
None of my neighbors know I'm a nudist. The houses on each side of me use to be empty most of the time and I could be naked in my backyard. Now I have neighbors with kids and I don't want them to get upset so i wear shorts. The night time I do go outside nude in back yard or sit on the deck nude early mornings and have coffee. Only one single mom neighbor saw me and she didn't care. Here kids were teenagers and the daughter would sun bate topless. Looking for a place in the country with some land so I can enjoy outside nudity more.
I don't share the information with anyone, neighbours or not. I value the oasis from the rest of life that a spa or a beach without swimwear can be.
