SydneyJimI’ve had such a bad run-in with #Australian #Naturists of late. The #Australian #Naturist community seems to be very toxic, divided, full of perverts. My wife & I are probably better off staying away & keeping our #Naturism to ourselves. This is a really disappointing experience, especially when #Naturism is meant to be grounded in #respect, openness, & ease. (1/3)
When a space that’s supposed to feel freeing instead feels tense or uncomfortable, it can take the shine off something that matters to you. It’s very clear to me now that not every person that uses the label #Naturist actually lives by the values that are the core of #Naturism, like mutual #respect, non-judgement, & healthy boundaries. Like any community, personalities, egos, & social dynamics can distort things. Sometimes smaller or more insular groups can amplify that. (2/3)
My wife & I are stepping back for a while. Keeping our practice between us, where we both feel most at ease, to bring things back to what anchored us to it in the first place. To strip away the noise & return it to something simple & grounded. We’ll shift back to our couple-based experiences in #nature, where there’s no #social pressure at all. A community isn’t automatically healthy just because it shares an interest. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it usually is. (3/3)
Scott Hanzelka@SydneyJim Sad that y'all are stepping back,but totally understand why.Best wishes to you both in all your future endeavors.Your thoughts and perspective on naturism will be missed.Thanks for sharing them here.
Diederik@SydneyJim do what you need. Take care of each other and enjoy your naturism with each other.
iRon@SydneyJim sad but true.
When something looks too good to be true, it might not be true.
Naturists are part of humanity, consisting of all kinds of people with their mindsets. Respect is not only a naturists feature and not all naturists give the same meaning to respect.
I hope you soon recover.
Rene Bellamy@SydneyJim you and your wife have been an inspiration to many, Jim. I confess that some days, especially with the recent stuff going on around podcasts and your own experience here, it’s hard to muster the fortitude to carry on with my own contribution to promoting naturism. So I completely understand the need to step away and look after yourselves. We’ll be here when you come back, which I hope you will.