Dance Naked! (But Only If You Want To...)

As I've posted before, my partner and I have been frequenting the local YMCA. I'm pleased to report that, not only is this still ongoing, but there have been gains, both physically and personally. I have learned some valuable lessons as well.

First, those weight machines are adjustable for the vertically-challenged! Good to know! It really does make a world of difference when one's feet can touch the floor!

Second, the right kind of music is essential to making the time fly by (Who knew that "Material Girl" and "Go West" would rock out so well?) (And while I'm on the subject- I feel the need to mention that this year's "must-have accessory" for the gym is an MP3 player. It pains me when I see some poor guy stopping on his treadmill to change CDs!)

Third, if your body happens to make a noise as the natural result of clenching and straining, denial is a completely acceptable response. Not only is a verbal apology to the room unnecessary but the confirmation of our suspicions makes it worse!

The hardest lesson I've been learning is how to be comfortable without clothes.

There is this episode of Sex in the City where Charlotte confronts the exact same issue. Embarrassed about her body, she can't disrobe in front of all the women in the steamroom. The girls take off their towels, except for Charlotte, who tells them it is too hot and she isn't comfortable, and she leaves. Carrie follows Charlotte out and asks her what's wrong.
Charlotte: I didn't grow up in a naked house!
Carrie: Well I didn't either.
Charlotte: [nodding at a naked woman behind them] I bet she grew up in a naked house.
Carrie: She might still live in a naked house! (source)

Like Charlotte, I didn't grow up in a "naked house" either and later in life, I was surprised to realize this was not the norm. Many of the people I talked to, by the time they reached adulthood, nudity had become so de rigueur, it lost all eroticism.

I, on the other hand, had problems starting with first grade. It was the first time I was away from my home all day long and I declined to go to the bathroom with all the other kids. Because of that I got a urinary tract infection and visited the nurse's office once everyday to use her private bathroom and leave her a note so she knew I went. Today, things are better but I still don't get people who are able to simulateously tinkle and talk! Later in junior high/freshman physical education, I was scarred by having to actually shower and change around other people. I did it just like I ate my veggies, as quickly as possible. The first time I went to a sauna was in Korea, where I was the only foreigner and the hairiest person by far. And when Korean men gawked, it was because they had never seen a white guy nude before and were simply curious. And now in my thirties, I'm still dealing with the same issue in the locker room of our YMCA.

Even though my body is full of imperfections, I have come to slowly realize that everyone around me is imperfect as well (albeit in different ways). While I will probably never join a nudist colony or choose something other than the clothing option at a local beach, I do get the point that our bodies are just bodies. I suppose in a way nudity is a class equalizer. No one really cares about your designer clothes or new shoes or judges your fashion sense when you are nude. God sees us in a very similar way. When we return to how we came into the world (a.k.a. our "birthday suits"), we are all more vulnerable to being hurt. For that reason, I would like to think that we are also nicer to each other, giving more space, speaking less and being polite when we do say something.

At the end of the Sex in the City episode, Charlotte returns to the spa where she nervously forces herself to disrobe in the steam room. She is validated when another woman says "I'd kill for your breasts." And Charlotte shly smiles and nods her thanks!

Maybe someday I'll get there too!