I haven’t always driven to greenbelts and wildlife refuges to enjoy outdoor nudity. It began in my own back yard.
When I was 14, another family, former neighbors, visited us overnight. To find room for everyone to sleep, my dad put up the camping trailer in the back yard. I was sent out there along with the two visiting boys, ages 11 and 10.
Once I had slipped into the sleeping bag, I wiggled out of my pajamas. I waited until I thought the other boys were asleep. Silently I got up, opened the door, and stepped out of the trailer. This was the first time I was naked outdoors.
Our house was at the end of a dead-end street, and the streetlights did not reach the back yard. So it was very dark under the stars. I felt undetectable.
I circled the trailer and wandered around the yard for a minute or two. It felt daring and exciting to be naked outside, yet entirely natural. I could move more freely and silently without clothing, and I felt at home in the night instead of being just a visitor from the illuminated indoor world.
Soon I snuck back in and went to bed.
I can’t fathom why I didn’t suggest this to the other boys. I know for a fact they would have gone along with it.
The next day, most everyone went somewhere in town. The 10-year-old and I were not interested in whatever it was, so we stayed home. We went to my room, and I suggested we play strip poker. He was all for it. We didn’t know how to actually play poker, so we just drew cards one at a time. When you drew a face card, you took off an item of clothing. We were both down to nothing at about the same time. He said, “Let’s dance around naked for a while before we put our clothes back on.” But just then the cars pulled into the driveway, so we got dressed, ending our naked adventure.
The other boy and I also got naked together on a later visit. But it went beyond mere nudity, and so that is a story for a different venue.