My Life Story for Those Who are Interested

Just some context of me as a person that I didn't put in my "About Me" section. Ramblings of how I grew up, discovered nudism, and my thoughts on my future as a nudist. I suppose I'll start at the beginning. I'm not sure I was ever the token toddler that would escape out of their clothes any chance mom wasn't looking. I grew up in a fairly modest, catholic household. My mom was the most devout in her faith, my father not so much. I wouldn't say it was a stifling upbringing, but I was definitely raised to show shame for my body and to be respectful of modesty. But as I got older, that was a barrier that became less and less difficult to cross, and I discovered a profound sense of pride in being naturally naked. By the time I was a teenager, I was finding myself naked any time I had any significant length of privacy. I have to admit, since my behavior was quite taboo as far as my family was concerned, it made it all the more exhilarating. But as such, I was often worried I'd be discovered at home, so I began hiking into the woods and forests that lay around our home. I began experimenting with getting nude outdoors. At first, it was only small baby steps. I'd remove my shoes and shorts for a few minutes at a time. I wasn't sure how private I had it in the woods. There were other houses in the area, and while the trees provided good shelter from any prying eyes, I was still shackled by my shame of being seen nude. I was always afraid that I was going to punished for indulging my nude behavior, not only by my parents, but by God. At this point in my life, I was absolutely a devout Catholic. That alone would be another mental shackle that I would have to work to shed. I would feel so guilty and shameful that what I was doing was wrong, and that I shouldn't be finding joy in my time free from clothing. It was't something to celebrate or indulge in, it was taboo. I'm happy to say that it didn't take long to accept that there wasn't anything wrong at all in being naked, and it's the most natural thing in the world. Clothing is a construct of man, not of God. If this wasn't Gods design, we wouldn't be born the way we are: Naked. That's one shackle gone. As I aged into adulthood, my relationship with God and my Catholic faith was challenged to a degree that it wouldn't survive. I struggled with my sexuality, and while not the ultimate factor in why I renounced my faith, it was a pivoting point. I was angry, I know, big surprise. It's often a story shared among a lot of homosexual people. If I wasn't supposed to be this way, why would God make me this way, and why would I be eternally punished for it, yada yada. By the time I was 21, I had left behind my Catholic faith. I had come out to my family as a gay man. They were more or less accepting, but that could be a story for another time. Back to nudism. I hadn't actually labeled myself as nudist at any point during this time of my life. I was still only able to be nude when private time permitted. It wasn't until I dated my first partner that I was introduced to a local nudist beach. All I can say is that there was no going back for me. I finally found a place outside of my home that I could be naked and accepted by other like minded individuals. I moved out of my home town and in with a couple friends who were accepting of my desire to live naked. I finally began thinking of myself as a nudist. Ten years later, I'm naked 99.9% of the time I'm home. All of my friends know I'm a nudist and are respectful of it. I never came out to my family as a nudist. That still remains to be one of those pesky mental shackles. Maybe one day I'll have the courage to tell my parents. But also, I do not really feel the need to tell them right now. It's not validation that I need. Would I like to be absolutely open and free to be me, yes of course. And I still can be. But for now, I'm content and in a very happy place. Nudism has done a lot for my self confidence, and I've been very grateful for my experience so far as a nudist.