From: elogan@dbaix.oc.com (Ernie Logan)
Newsgroups: rec.nude
Subject: Re: Survey, Info, Etc.
Keywords: survey, information
Date: 13 Apr 92 13:24:12 GMT
Organization: OpenConnect Systems

steve@rtfm.mlb.fl.us (Steve Pierce) writes:
>Some stuff deleted
>Rob Henry suggested it is time for a topic change.  May I suggest a few:
>  a) Favorite beach/spring/resort (all of the CO kind, of course :-)
>  b) First CO experience (to help the newbies)
>  c) Informing friends/family about being a nudist/naturist.
>===========================================
>Steve Pierce             Palm Bay
>steve@rtfm.mlb.fl.us     Florida
>===========================================

Steve, I'm up for the new topic. How about one for (c), followed by one for
(b). My wife and I wrote these for a contest sponsored by Maalox, thus the 
references to the Maalox moment slogan. :) What can I say, we got a T-shirt
and some other goodies as runner-ups. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First for the topic of telling friends/relatives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                Maalox Moments?
                             "We're Nudists, Mom."

It was  Late July of 1988.  Up to then, no  one in our families  knew, or even
suspected, that we had become social nudists. We are a family of four. Father,
mother,  son, daughter.  We  had  just  attended  our  first  regional  nudist
convention.  At  the convention,  the  Houston  Chronicle interviewed  several
families, including ours.  The article was printed several weeks later, and it
ran with our photos. We  had posed, back view, fully nude, never truly certain
if the photo would (could?) run. Or how we would handle it if any relative saw
it.

The  photo ran  in the  Sunday edition,  in the  Lifestyle section.  My wife's
mother subscribes to  the Chronicle,  and this particular  Sunday, she and  my
father-in-law were both ill with the flu. We had  been buying the Sunday paper
for several weeks, wondering  when the article would run. Now it  had, we were
on the front page of the section, and recognizable.

HERE WAS A MAALOX MOMENT.

We decided to confront  the issue head on. All four of us went over to "Mom's"
house. That's  when we discovered they  were sick. Now what?  We "noticed" the
article in  the paper on  her table.  We commented  on it, trying  to start  a
conversation. It really didn't feel just right yet, but "Mom" commented on how
much the  photo resembled  us. Still...  They were  ill, it  would be  a major
shock, we chickened out.

It was  several  days later  when we  finally got  the courage  to broach  the
subject.  She  already  knew  it  was   us,  and  was  only  waiting  for  our
confirmation.  We had a  good, open, honest  discussion. She accepts  us as we
are.  We love  her dearly,  and by  now  most of  my wife's  family knows  and
accepts.

My family,  for the  most  part, lives  elsewhere, and  I'm  still a  chicken.
Another  MAALOX  moment  may be  in  my  near  future,  though! Dad,  are  you
listening?

(My father lives here in Dallas, but my article did not get much publicity..:)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now for the topic of first experiences.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              My Maalox Moment :
                           I Visited A Nudist Resort

My  husband had  been trying for  quite some  time to  convince me to  visit a
nudist resort, and I was very nervous about it. I finally agreed. We packed up
our tent  and  kids,  and off  we  went on  an  exciting, but  nerve  racking,
experience. Everybody was  excited except  me. I was  scared. This  particular
resort did not require  you to go fully nude  until you were comfortable  with
the idea and situation.

There were  lots of kids and parents  in the pool when  we got there. Everyone
made, or tried to make, me feel at home. Imagine all shapes and all ages, from
infants up to  retirees. I couldn't  believe I was  actually here. My  friends
would never  believe this. My husband  got out and  undressed, and so  did the
kids. Then they started setting up our campsite. By this time I was  frozen in
the  car, my stomach  was doing  flip-flops, and I  was having  a major MAALOX
moment. What do I  do now? I noticed that  I was the only person  with clothes
on. I was wearing a bright yellow knee length dress, and  I felt like everyone
was staring at me.

I decided to go  with the flow, and blend in instead of stand out. After about
an hour of anxiety, I undressed really quickly so I couldn't change my mind. I
finally  relaxed when I  realized these were  just normal people  enjoying the
freedom of having no clothes restricting their movements.

I  came to  realize, just  as these  people had,  that the  wind and  sun felt
wonderful  on my  body. This  was the  beginning of  a wonderful new  and free
lifestyle.
---
Ernie Logan, Jr.
SWSA (ASA Regional) Director
AS/400 Specialist
R & D Internal Support
elogan@oc.com

OpenConnect Systems
2033 Chennault Drive
Carrollton, Texas USA 75006
+1 214 308-0493
+1 214 490-4090
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  "My opinions are mine alone. No one else would want them." Ernie Logan