Friday, January 27, 2006

You Don't Have to Take Your Clothes Off, To Have Good Time, But It Helps

A recent article about Paradise Lakes, popular nudist colony, caught my eye. They are hosting a strip poker tournament tonight, following a day-long "Bulls in the Buff" event, targeting local USF students. College students get in free, along with anyone under age 25, and the tournament itself is for single women and couples only.

If you are so inclined, go for it. Tell 'em Katie sent ya.

I've visisted Paradise Lakes with my closest friends (we were young and impressionable college students as well) and enjoyed myself. Mike liked to be naked even without high walls and a security system and Julie and I thought, "Why not?" There's something exhilarating about stripping in public and rejecting conventional societal norms. Freedom never felt so freeing.

Let me debunk a few myths about the clothing-optional lifestyle. First of all, the experience need not be sexual in nature. Yes, Paradise Lakes has an active bar and dance club. Boys will be boys, with or without clothes, but tend to rely on intellectual mating rituals when exposed in more ways than one. That leads to stimulating conversations and a more honest approach. Still, even with everything out in the open, I never spent the night. Went in pure as snow and left with everything intact. Everything.

Secondly, revelers are not young hippies with a free-love philosophy. I always laugh when political candidates attack these resorts as "sin bins" and vow to rid Pasco County of places where you can't throw a rock without hitting a naked keister. Then Republican Zealot gets elected and realizes these residents are older, conservative, and rich enough to finance several more campaigns. Afterwards we don't hear much from them or their Bible-toting constituents which is why Land O' Lakes remains home to four separate clothing-free compounds. That's about the only alternative lifestyle these nudists can get behind.

And if you think you're alone in there, think again. Over 100,000 people flock to these Naked Experiences every year. After a few of my own, I went with family to an Ybor City restaurant and our waiter recognized me. Future Husband laughed out loud when the guy said, "Didn't I meet you last night at Paradise Lakes?" I turned red, smiled politely and avoided my relatives' disapproving looks.

Then it hit me. He really did focus on my face! Should I be insulted or impressed?

One last piece of advice: If you bare it all, bring a towel to place under your tushie when taking a break from socializing and dancing. Those seat cushions get moist.

Oh, for goodness sake, take off your clothes and have a good time. When gravity becomes The Enemy, you'll look back and be glad you did.

7 Comments:

At 1/27/2006, Blogger Van said...

I've thought about going, but I hit a snag on the matter of sanitary hygene.

Believe me, I have no problem with naked people, especially women. I've gone skinny dipping with the best of them, it was usually dark and we were usually buzzed, but anyway.
I guess that I don't want to sit in the same seat as so many others without having the clothing barrier. It grosses me out to think of all of those buts before me. Too much information?

 
At 1/27/2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha ha... that's why you bring the towel. :-)

 
At 1/27/2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I didn't recognize you until you got up to use the restroom and there was a towel on your chair. You do have pretty "eyes" though.

 
At 1/27/2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Katie: So a waiter recognized your...assets. Things could have been worse. People could have been stopping you in University Mall, asking if you played Rizzo in GREASE.

Tangent: Rick just showed me our caller ID and it says...and I'm not kidding... "Frank Adams JEW". Was Andrew Deitch trying to get in touch with me? (Remember that mess?)

 
At 1/28/2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please explain the rules for "strip poker" at a nudist retreat where everyone is naked to begin.

 
At 1/28/2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Poor, poor Andrew. Right?

And that's a good question about strip poker. I wish I knew...

 
At 8/09/2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Before you go painting (all) Republicans and "Bible-toters" w/the same slanderous brush, perhaps you should get to know a few of them. Most Republicans (ie. conservatives) have a live and let live philosophy, unlike liberals (ie. Democrats) that like to tell others how to live. As just one example, aren't all "Greenies", who LOVE to force their leftist ecological views on us, liberals/Dems? And I could go on and on citing leftist organizations and their "live as I do, not as you do" mindsets, but for the sake of brevity just that one should suffice.
And as for "Bible-toters", true, some misguided souls (of ANY persuasion) equate nakedness w/sinfulness, but there are some who view their faith(FAITH vs. "religion") w/a more enlightened (read that "more accurate" scripturally) eye.
But if you see the world through very biased eyes, as your blog makes clearly evident, then it is no wonder you like to label people before you get to know them. "Remove the mote from your own eye before you try to help your brother see" (paraphrased), for those of you in Rio Linda, (a reference that I will bet is over your head).

 

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