The new academic year began for me almost weeks ago. A new journey with new faces and new students to enlighten and to inspire (hopefully). It is also exciting for me, personally and professionally, as I am one of a team of three professors collaborating on a new class being offered this semester. As this upcoming November 11, 2018, marks the centenary of the signing of the armistice that ended the Great War of 1914-1918 (World War I), this particular class offers a retrospective on that event, the “war to end all wars.”
Category: reflection
Reflections: End of August, 2018
Aretha Franklin
Queen of Soul
1942 – 2018
The entertainment world collectively mourned the loss of Aretha Franklin, affectionately known as the Queen of Soul, during this month. Ms. Franklin, born on March 25, 1942, died after entering hospice care on Thursday, August 16, 2018. She was 76 years old. I personally never knew her, but I grew up in the era of her music. Being Deaf, I never heard her sing but I did read the lyrics to her songs and fully recognize and understand her tremendous impact on the popular culture.
Dive Into August!
It’s now or never, folks! Let’s get ready because before we all know it, there’s a very massive change approaching and time is running out. The clock is already ticking and the next we know, it will be the beginning of Autumn, 2018! There, I wrote the unspeakable! Today begins the first day of the final full month of Summer, 2018. Next month, the seasons will change and this one will be over. History. Past. For a summer-freak as myself, the days of doom and gloom are upon us all.
Skinny-Dipping Photos
As unbelievable as it may seem to some, there are instances where we may encounter a less-than-blissful skinny-dipper (naked or nude swimmer). More often than not, there are usually extenuating circumstances that create this anomaly. Most people are sublimely relieved to be experiencing clothes-freedom and a leisurely swim simultaneously. When we think of recreational swimming, it is associated with freedom from stress and other worldly cares and responsibilities. It is, under normal situations, an activity that is performed after our toils and professional duties are long over.
Reflections: End of June, 2018
We are now facing the end of June, 2018 – and the end of another wonderful month of GLBTQ Nude Pride. Reflection means many things to almost every person, it even has multiple definitions for every one of us. The image above depicts three different men holding a mirror. However, upon close inspection, only one image is reflected on the mirror itself. Yet that image isn’t one of the men above. So the question then becomes: Who’s image is it? And that answer we may never know.
Reflections: End of May, 2018
Sometimes, even just thinking about how it feels to be bare is almost as good as actually being clothes-free. I’m referring to those times in our lives when being nude just simply isn’t a viable option – such as work. Even though I am open about being a naturist/nudist (bare practitioner) with most of my co-workers, I still don’t have the option of coming onto campus in just my birthday suit (skin). My university and the District of Columbia don’t extend to me that freedom.
Reflections: End of April, 2018
April has come and gone. One of the shortest months of the year, it is the very shortest month of the Spring season. June is another 30-day month but as Summer arrives on June 21, it technically isn’t an entirely Spring month. What matters most, at least in my humble opinion, is that the weather becomes warmer and the daylight lasts longer. At long last, the outdoor temperatures here have finally turned pleasant. This is absolutely my time of the year!
Reflections: End of February, 2018
This post will stray somewhat from my usual “end-of-the-month” review of the state of this blog and any accomplishments relating to this site, nudity and/or same gender loving (gay) concerns. Instead, it is a posting of a noteworthy event in commemoration of Black History Month here in the USA. I’m sure that some of you reading here may ask yourselves, “why is he writing about Black history month? He’s not Black.” True, I’m not black-skinned. However, my husband is African-American and if I am to respect both him and his heritage, then I need to acknowledge and address issues that not only concern him but us both.
Workout Mobs!
The month of January, every year, never ceases to amaze me. That’s the one time of the year that my local gym is packed with bodies beyond capacity. People are everywhere they shouldn’t be and the overwhelming majority of them doing things they shouldn’t. I understand that with the start of the new calendar year, my gym membership numbers soar as people try to adhere to their resolutions of weight loss and becoming physically fit. I appreciate their commitment to improve their health but not at my expense!
USA: February is Black History Month
Here in the USA, every February is designated as Black History Month. This is the time of the year that nationally, we focus on remembering, educating and sharing the accomplishments and achievements of African-Americans and their contributions made to both American history and to American society. One doesn’t have to be a Black American to appreciate the results of Black culture. It is a time for all of us to celebrate the people who overcame innumerable challenges and enriched us all.
ReNude Pride: Guys Without Boxers! 