Words :: Sarah Woods // photo :: John Kelsey.
We were all born naked.
And then immediately covered up. And while “civilized” society has long eschewed any and all kinds of nudity in adults, for infants and toddlers, tearing off clothes and wandering around naked are common and often expected behaviours. Natural even.
As children, we lived in those early years without judgment and moved freely in our own skin (mostly because it just felt so damn good, and it still feels so damn good). But as adults, it’s common to step into judgment instead of being in celebration of the bodies we chose to experience this life with. Dropping top at a beach or airing ourselves out after a strenuous hike is not part of our “accepted” culture. Questions and conclusions take over, holding us back from freeing our bodies without worrying about what others think.
It’s dumb, really.
But, there is a silver lining in all the madness. Something we can be thankful for – all of those staunch puritan beliefs and Victorian fears that created our not-so-naked culture have also created skinny dipping, an act that combines rebellion, irreverent fun and a return to something that really ought to be our second nature.
Under the guise of night or solitude, all summer long, there will be bare bums and moonlit smiles dashing in, out, and around lakes all over the Coast Mountains.
Skinny dipping is about letting go of judgments, embracing adventure and tossing caution aside to create a connection with nature, the moment, and those friends along for the ride.
So uncover the body this summer, free the mind and let the good times roll. And count me in.
