SUMMER2016
MOUNTAINLIFE
113
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Rebellionnever looked so refreshing. JOHNKELSEY
words :: SarahWoods
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 andmoved 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 themadness.
Somethingwe can be thankful for – all of those
staunch puritan beliefs andVictorian 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.
