A Week of Love!

Bromantic couple!

Background:

While researching and composing this post entry, I encountered this word: exogamy. To my knowledge, I have never I have seen it before, not have I ever fingerspelled it manually. The definition is: exogamy: marrying outside the family, tribe, clan, culture or other social unit.

A Week of Love:

Exogamy essentially describes and/or identifies my marriage. Aaron, my spouse, is Black, I am White (race). He is Canadian, I am Greek (nationality). He is hearing, I am Deaf (differing ability). He is Roman Catholic, I am Greek Orthodox (religion).

On a positive notation, we are both very much proud bare practitioners. Also, we are both very much in love with one another. Sometimes, love works best when there’s at least one shared aspect! We both are dedicated to the sharing of our nakedness! Hence, the existence of both our marriage and this site, ReNude Pride.

This year, Valentine’s Day is middle-of-the week, a Wednesday. This inspired me to create this post entry in honour of A Week of Love. After all, since my spouse and I are both exogamists (finally, I utilized my new vocabulary discovery)! We can take the entire week to commemorate our new classification label!

Very much love!

Despite all the abuse, hatred, killing and violence happening all too often in our world, we can take advantage of this Week of Love to remind ourselves and others that bromance (love between two men) exists! Therefore, all hope is not lost forever! Please join with us as we celebrate love!

Regardless of our exogamy status, Aaron and I share our love together. We both hope and wish the same for all of you!

“Love” can mean many things to different people. It is an ambiguous word that encompasses familial love (loce between members of the same family); it also includes bromantic love or intimate love (love that involves physical contact: groping/touching, kissing and/or sexual union) and platonic love (strong affection and caring between friends). We also need to keep in mind that there are varying degrees (levels) of love within each distinct category. It is usually very different and very unique in almost every situation.

Loving together!

With all the variations of love available, A Week of Love offers the majority of us an opportunity to share some aspect of kindness and/or love with at least one other person. We have the entire week to do this simple task. It can include just giving a smile to the person standing beside you on the subway platform or a kiss-on-the-cheek to an elderly aunt. The little acts of kindness that we share can range from the picking up of a soft toy a child may have inadvertently dropped to the help we give an elderly neighbor in scraping the ice/snow off his automobiles rear window. The effort and gesture are our deserved reward.

Chances are, more than likely, you’ll feel better about yourself! As a special gift, someone else will feel good bout you, too!

Rendering a love tap!

The image above exemplifies three distinct classification of love. The first one is familial love (as in egocentric or self-focused). Both men are comfortable being bare with one another. The second is platonic love (love between friends). It is obvious that as friends, they share affection and respect for each other. The third exemplification is bromantic or intimate love. The proximity of their nakedness together is very suggestive of this happening in the either the pre-intercourse or the post-intercourse moment.

Please enjoy your very own Week of Love!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Wednesday, February 14, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “Valentine’s Day!”

Bottoms-Up! January, 2024

A stare and buttocks!

It’s January in the Northern Hemisphere and an overwhelming majority of us are enduring the month inside where we can keep warm and not force our buttocks to suffer the frigid temperatures outside! Comfort and consideration do over-rule the joy of natural nakedness!

Buttocks comparison!

A bottoms-up! enterprise: a dynamic duo coupled for fun! A wonderful way to spend a winter’s day! Taking advantage of the chance to explore the bottoms-up! universe together! A triumphant team effort!

Bottoms-up! to bottoms-up!

A well-deserved respite from a busy day! Companionship brings out the best for all the rest of us to look back and enjoy!

Dressing room bottoms-up!

The “winter workouts” at our local fitness center or gym can often add a “spice of delight” for fans of bottoms-up! enthusiasts!

A “beachy” bottoms-up!

While it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere is full of the excited exposure of bountiful buttocks from coast-to-coast!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for tomorrow, Thursday, February 1, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “USA: Black History Month!”

Resolutions Reminder!

Felipe Ferreira: resolutions humour!

For multitudes of people, both those bare and those textile (clothed), the beginnings of a new calendar year encouraged them to adjust their lives in different ways. This led to the union of a new year with the practice of resolving (changing). Hence, the custom of “new year’s resolutions” as a tradition that soon became identical to a one word description: failure!

The humour that accompanied this new year’s resolutions idea was based on the popular conclusion that all such goals were doomed to abandonment within less than a month. January 1: New Year’s Day. January 31: new year’s resolutions discarded! Simple?

My personal experience with the unsuccessful new year’s resolutions syndrome and reality is based on timing. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter arrives on December 21, annually. The new year occurs less than two weeks later.

Factor into this situation darker days (less daylight/sunlight), colder outdoor temperatures, inclement weather conditions (ice, snow), health issues (colds, influenza, etc.) and other seasonal realities. There is no additional proof needed as to the predictable demise of new year’s resolutions success.

Snow + naked = s’naked!

In addition to the concerns addressed above, there remains one other personal reason for the collapse of desired changes in behaviour and routine for the new year. I am not amenable to the cold and inclement. Especially the cold; including beverages (year around: no ice) food (ice cream: never) and air conditioning/cooling is not necessary or needed. Heat and humidity is acceptable and preferred. As strange as this may appear to others, I am not alone in this predicament.

This (Washington, D.C. metropolitan area) is as close to the Arctic Circle as I will ever live. I do value my convoluted sanity! I know my strengths and weaknesses and frigid conditions are not on any list of change! Aaron, my spouse, is in complete agreement with me on this matter! If “intolerable” were a word used to describe either of us, it would be applicable here with our reaction to winter!

Another widespread excuse offered for the lack of success of new year’s resolutions is that people resist change, both negative and positive. “Old habits die hard!” is a popular expression often used to identify situation. This outlook (point of view) is common globally.

Stripping or clothing removal!

Once a habit/routine is acquired/learned, it then becomes difficult to alter (change). A prime example to illustrate this reasoning are bare practitioners! When clothes freedom is attained, that becomes the basic, essential procedure. This routine then evolves into what is customary (normal) for this community of individuals. This standard is virtually impossible to change. Simply ask this of any bare practitioner that you personally know! Aaron and I, among many others, are two who enthusiastically verify this fact!

Now we expand our considerations listing to include the lack of commitment and/or indifference. Far too many persons, regardless of their clothing status, enter into the new year’s resolutions context just due to the availability and convenience of the option. Numerous acquaintances perhaps are discussing this topic socially as January 1, approaches each year. In order to actively engage in the conversation, the “indifferent” may only randomly mention a remote adaptation that they may or may not wish to change. Then they may repeat the episode should the need arise.

Given this circumstance, if this decision receives even a secondary thought it should be looked upon as miraculous and obviously doomed for complete failure. This lack of serious commitment reduces any chance of success! Add the inconvenience of the temperature and weather realities and a winter resolution becomes even more synonymous with failure.

Optimism!

The arrival of the Spring season, annually, offers more promise of achievement and development of any alteration of behaviour and/or routine. The approaching improvement of external environmental conditions and the optimistic attitudes that generally accompany this often make people more receptive to introducing changes into their daily practices. Of course, we all know that there are no immediate environmental alterations between winter and the Spring season. However, just knowing that an end to the cold and inclement is in the future often helps in a mental adjustment that enables an improved attitude.

This development reduces our resistance to adopting change and affords many of us an increase in the success of our resolutions!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, January 26, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “Perceptions!”

Bottoms-Up! December, 2023!

Summoning us all together!

Come one! Come all! We’re joining in together to close out 2023, and the month of December! Now, we join with Mr. Francois Sagat in baring our buttocks to bid “farewell” to the old and to “welcome” the new!

Francois Sagat: live and in reflection!

Nice bottoms-up! you have, brother Francois!

Thank you, 2023!

It was a fun year! The memories will be with us all for quite a while!

Bottoms-up! in triplicate!

Bare buttocks and the blue sea! A rewarding way to welcome 2024!

Bottom’s-up! development!

Our Equatorial bottom’s-up! features a pyramid of booties that rival the classic structures of the ancient Egyptians!

A Bottom’s-up! pillow for the weary!

The above Bottom’s-up! opportunity allows us to offer comfort for those who are fatigued or weary!

A temptation!

And to energize ourselves in order to share our bottoms-up! appreciation!

A 2024 welcome!

A well-earned greeting for 2024, the new year!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for tomorrow, Monday, January 1, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “2024!”

Perspective!

With fellow blogger, Adimu!

Background:

The Pentagon City Fashion Centre is a popular shopping mall/tourist attraction in Arlington, Virginia, located near The Pentagon and just south of the Potomac River which separates the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C., from the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is located very near the condominium where Aaron (my spouse) and I reside.

The incident described below happened almost a full year after I began publishing ReNude Pride back in 2017. We were both shopping in the mall during the winter holiday season. In reality, it was winter and we were both fully clothed in outerwear and our casual garments!

Aaron recalled this situation about a week ago and encouraged it as a “seasonal” topic to post here during this year’s holiday tradition!

I am using pictures of my fellow blogger, Adimu and myself to illustrate this posting as this was our very first time spent together when we took these images using a telephoto lens and adapter.

Adimu and Roger, riverside!

The truth is…

Early December, 2017 – it was a Saturday and Aaron (my h-u-s-b-a-n-d) – both legally and officially – and I exited the Metro Blue Line at the Pentagon City subway station. We entered the Pentagon City shopping mall for a particular item of clothing. What that was is as unimportant as the cost of a pair of sunglasses is to Rudolph (the red-nosed reindeer)!

Then, as now, we were both honest and open about our being bare practitioners (same gender loving naturists/nudists). We were probably publicly holding onto one another’s hands or walking arm-in-arm. President Obama had served his second term the previous January and his successor was now in office so we were most definitely in physical contact and completely clothed!

The winter holiday shopping frenzy was underway as we patiently progressed through the four shopping levels. We had all day and had ridden the subway; there was no need or reason to hurry. The only pressing item on our agenda for the day was to get home and return to our usual state of nakedness!

Somewhere along the way to wherever, Aaron stopped as he had been approached by another man – presumably alone. My spouse released my hand and immediately began using American Sign Language (ASL) as this man was addressing him orally. At the very least, I would be able to follow their conversation.

Adimu and I embrace!

From what we both recall from this encounter, the conversation began quite amicable, decent and friendly – initially. This man admitted to regularly reading ReNude Pride. He looked me “in the eye” as he complimented me on writing this blog and on our relationship (marriage). This wasn’t the first time someone had acknowledged our interracial gay status nor our being open concerning our preference for nakedness.

Suddenly, the conversation changed from pleasant to one of hostility. This man – name unknown – became increasingly emotional and he specifically accused us both as being insensitive to the fact that being gay was totally incompatible with being nudists!

Both Aaron and I remember his closing argument: “There is no way a gay man can be comfortable being naked among complete strangers!”

I was shocked and surprised! I couldn’t grasp his reasoning behind this exclamation! What triggered this exclamation? I was unable to even think of any response!

Fortunately, Aaron wasn’t in the same type of mental wasteland. He answered, calmly and simply: “Better to be naked with strangers than to be in costume among friends!”

He then grabbed my hand and led me away!

“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~ American jurist

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is for Friday, December 15, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Schedule!”

Winter Holidays!

Holiday happiness!

The arguments and debates concerning the appropriate sensitivity and respect over the holiday and/or Holy Day…bah-humbug! On ReNude Pride, we try to be equal and fair to all, no matter the culture, faith, heritage, ethnicity, racial identity, sexual attraction and sexual orientation! We wish for everyone happiness for whatever the occasion!

Our header (beginning image) above does deliver a usually perceived “christmas-type” depiction but our listing below contains the reasoning factor. We intend to pay tribute to all here!

There are a limitless supply of beliefs, facts and reasons for all of our differing occasions to celebrate, commemorate and enjoy! Our intent is to attempt and strive to be as accepting, acknowledging and as all-inclusive as possible. We want everyone to feel comfortable, special and welcome here on ReNude Pride! Especially if you are both bare and same gender loving!

Celebrating all of us!

Please remember that no one is intentionally ignored or excluded from us here (unless too fully dressed)! Each and every one is encouraged to join in our adventures, escapades, education and fun. Good times and life are for us all to enjoy and experience.

Too many of our kind, of our nature have been forced to endure and to suffer during their lives. Many are even doing so still today. Now is the time for us all to cast aside all the oppression and repression!

In coming together we not only offer our collective compassion and support, we also share our suffering. This, in turn, empowers us all to commiserate as a community and to look and to move forward in strength and unity!

Togetherness!

All of us realize that our past is behind us. It is a lesson learned. Our present is part of what unites us and envelops us in love and respect. Our future is a journey, a path forward, a light that shines with all of our combined aspirations, our combined dreams and our combined hopes.

Working together, in patience, tolerance and understanding, our future becomes not only much brighter but also more alive and more promising! It is a step in the direction towards harmony, peace and tranquility not only for our community and our culture but also for our hearts, our minds and our spirits.

Our diversity makes us stronger!

This is why the celebrating of, the honouring of, the knowledge of, the memory of and the power of our communal and familial heritages is so important and necessary. Our history, whether personal, family, religious, communal or cultural is a vital part of each and every one of us! It is what makes us special and unique!

Sankofa proverb!

It is precisely the message of the Sankofa Proverb of the Adinkra peoples of West Africa. “If you forget it, you must go back and fetch it.” The truth shall be our guiding light!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, December 11, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Identifications!”

A Re-Visit!

Copying!

A moment of humour in order to pay a serious re-visit to last Monday’s post entry here on ReNude Pride entitled Nakedness: Downside featuring our very own bare practitioner celebrity, Felipe Ferreira!

In today’s return, our opening header (picture) image strongly suggests the enormous influence and attention our previous posting generated. Today’s featured downside star assumes a similar pose with his facial expression and his visible tongue affording us some notorious insight.

Did the previous post offend him? Is he thoroughly disgusted by our sense of humour? Did the appearance of Felipe Ferreira anger him or threaten his personal nakedness?

Instead, did the obviously most revealing and shocking question apply: How much did your’s truly (me) pay him to pose for this photograph?

The honest answer, my friends, is an official secret that was provided exclusively by Royal Command to our bare practitioner celebrity! The infamous and proudly resplendent in his own nakedness, Felipe Ferreira, shares his reaction to the secret answer below:

He jests,
He explains
He laughs
Then he laughs even again!

Remember the ancient adage, my friends: the truth shall always set you full of laughter all while you’re completely clothes free!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Wednesday, November 22, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “USA: Thanksgiving!”

Photo-Essay: Leaves!

Autumn, riverside!

As much mourning as I endure due to the end of the summer season every year, I always marvel at the colour the autumn leaves introduce into nature. It is almost as though the flowers that brightened our environment during the summer evolved to the leaves on the trees once autumn settles upon the scene. A very brief colourful experience as the leaves rapidly abandon the tree branches and then fall to the ground.

This post entry here on ReNude Pride isn’t a repeat of last year’s My Leaves Legacy. Click onto that title to link to that posting. This year, I’m simply sharing about autumn leaves without my allergic reaction. It is just the capturing of another seasonal transition in the calendar journey.

Autumn foliage!

As the autumn season progresses, the accumulation of leaves falling from trees covers not only the earth but also anyone laying there!

Bare in boots!

For many living in the Northern Hemisphere, this time of year marks the last time for being bare in nature until the arrival of the next spring season.

Hanging fitness in autumn!

The leaves change at different times. This offers an expanded expression of farewell to the growth season before the barren winter arrives.

Nocturnal autumn!

Some persons welcome the change of seasons as a salute the variations of nature. Some others, like myself, view it as an unfortunate means to endure until another trend in natural warmth returns for us to enjoy!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, November 10, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Armistice/Remembrance Day!”

Unlearn It!

Pride in his nakedness!

Introduction:

Official definition: “In human psychology, the term “learned behaviour” refers to any manner of conduct that a person performs as a result of experience. People learn behaviour from their parents, siblings and other authoritative environmental entities.”

A learned behaviour is a distinct practice that isn’t part of our natural (human) experience or nature. It is by no means universal (shared by everyone). More than likely, it is a behaviour or belief that is taught to us when we are young so that we do not acquire or begin a particular behaviour, habit or practice that is actually more conducive, intuitive or natural to an overwhelming majority of us. A perfect example of a learned behaviour is the wearing of clothes. The lesson taught to us is that bare, naked, nude is wrong and that clothes must be worn at all times!

Clothing is an instrument/tool that is divinely delivered to us in order to remove and/or restrict our body and clothes freedom. A freedom that we are all born with!

Ironically, the exact learned behaviour that we are taught is a complete and total lie (fabrication, falsehood). This untruth (falsehood) is practically always taught to us by the same person/teacher who also instruct us to always be honest and tell the truth. After all, lying is a sin (wrong) that is offensive not only to the divine but to all humans as well. Two lies (fabrications/falsehoods) do not equal to a truth!

So much for the un-natural and very un-truthful lesson that garments are divinely inspired! Quick! Someone should alert the divine!

Bare is wrong!

Body shame:

Body shame is defined/explained as: “the mock or stigmatize (someone) by making critical comments or gestures about the appearance, shape or size of their body.”/We are taught throughout our developmental (growing-up) years to shame ourselves and to especially to be ashamed of our bare (naked, nude) bodies. Additional instructions include that the desire and urge (want) for body and clothes freedom is both despicable, shameful and wrong! Nakedness (absence of garments) is the epitome of disgrace and it is evil.

Nakedness is also inhuman – that’s why prisoners are incarcerated nude or with a minimal covering. It is also un-natural – that’s why aboriginal persons are also classified/labelled as “backwards” or as “uncivilized.” Some are also referenced as “primitive.”

Nakedness is therefore undignified. It is also unrefined. Nakedness is deplorable. It lessens our humanity. It makes us savage. Ironically, the same may be applied to all of those who deliberately and intentionally and with malice direct and with intent inflict body shame on others. Body shaming is the process by which one attempts to address degradation, humiliation and ridicule upon the body of another with emphasis on perceived differences, discrepancies and flaws.

We are taught to conceal or cover (hide) our nakedness if we are ever in the company of others. Communal nakedness is both disgraceful and deviant. It is to be avoided at all times. It is indecent to be seen in our nakedness when around others. Communal nakedness is considered a perversion.

Pointing his finger!

The body shaming of others is a direct result of the insecurities felt by those criticizing of their own personal physical stature. They ridicule and taunt others in a feeble attempt to deflect attention from themselves.

“Who are you to judge the life I live? I’m not perfect and I don’t have to be! Before you start pointing fingers, make certain your hands are clean.” ~ Bob Marley ~ Jamaican reggae legend

Searching!

Refutation:

Yet, we were all born only in our complete, full and total nakedness. No matter our parentage or social class. In nakedness we begin our life and we enter into this world. In the countless numbers of thousands of years, humanity continues to create itself through birth in nakedness.

Multiple millennia of teaching all of our offspring of the artificial concealing and covering of their natural body with textiles (clothing) yet the instructions must still continue even into this day and age. Clothing remains a learned behaviour, that none of us are born with. It does not automatically pass from one generation to the next.

All joining together!

“Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it’s a good place to start.” ~ Jason Collins ~ first openly gay NBA professional, Brooklyn Nets

“For all of us, as same gender loving and bare men, we must remember that as members of a distinct minority community and culture, it is incumbent on us to recognize that our pride in ourselves is based on our own self-acceptance and our own self-confidence of both what and who we essentially are. Guilt and shame have no place in our lives. We need to let them go and move forward in patience and tolerance for all. Love nd respect are the keys we need. Hate and ignorance are not.” ~ Roger Peterson-Poladopoulos ~ June 16, 2023

One important thought to hold onto is that not everyone who taught us about nakedness was in harmony with the lesson. Many were merely complying with their perceptions of what was expected from them.

Suggestions For Unlearning:

The actual unlearning of a learned behaviour is easier for some of us than it is for others. One important factor to remember is that we all learn differently and the process of unlearning is equally diverse. There is not one standard formula/prototype that is applicable for all of us. Ponder the recommendations offered below and proceed with what is comfortable for you.

  1. Remove all clothing and relax. Read a book or a magazine. Watch a film or television. Paint a canvass and/or draw/sketch.
  2. Invite one or several friends over and encourage them to become naked with you. Play cards or a board game. Do something bare together. Interact.
  3. Repeat the above or variations thereof in order to increase the nude comfort level of everyone. Undertake similar activities. Invite others to join the experience.
  4. Progress from nakedness (alone) to an atmosphere of social nudity (acquaintances/friends engaging together).
  5. To increase the bare comfort level of all, organize a social event (such as a cocktail party of a meal) where the ones naked can intermingle with those who are wearing clothes. It is advisable to let all the guests know of the social make-up of the gathering in advance. This is done to avoid any awkward or uncomfortable “scenes.”

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, November 6, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Autumn Leaves!”

Bottoms-Up! Bare Practitioner History Month!

Halloween painted buttocks!

The “header” above is published in honour of today as the Halloween observance! Have a happy and safe Halloween to everyone!

Happy Bare Practitioner History Month! Bottoms-up legacy!

The above image is offered in honour of this being the very last day of 2023 Bare Practitioner History Month! Celebrating both our community and our culture and all of us being ourselves!

Since February, 2023, followers and readers of ReNude Pride were invited to submit images of their very own Bottoms-Up! in order to give themselves the historic significance that they so rightly deserve!

Anonymity was promised and below are the photographs sent to me. Happy Bottoms-Up! everyone!

********************

Bottoms-Up! Legends!

In the above .gif image, please lip-read my “thank you” to the above for sending in their Bottoms-Up! pictures!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, November 3, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Unlearn It!”