Six Questions from a Scared Kid
A seventeen‑year‑old in Ohio wonders if a nude beach could help him stop hating his body, or just make the shame louder.
Moderator’s note: Jordan found us through a Google search for “is it normal to be scared of nude beaches.” He is seventeen. He asked if he was too young to post. Sam says no, but everyone play nice or I will end you. Sam
By Jordan_17
Hi. I am seventeen. I live in Ohio. I found this blog last week, and I have read every post twice. I am not a nudist. I have never been naked in front of anyone except my doctor, and that was humiliating enough. But I think I want to try. I think maybe there is something wrong with how much I hate my body, and maybe this would help. Or maybe I would just humiliate myself worse. I do not know.
I have questions. They are probably stupid. I am asking anyway because if I do not, I will chicken out.
Do people actually not stare? I do not mean the polite glance. I mean the up-and-down inventory. Because I do that to myself in the mirror every morning, and I cannot imagine other people would not do it too.
What if I get... you know... excited? I am seventeen. I get excited when the wind blows. Is there a protocol? Do I get banned? Do I die?
Is everyone actually comfortable, or are they just pretending to be comfortable while secretly panicking like me? I need to know if this is a skill or a magic trick.
What if I am the only person there without gray hair? I do not mind older people. I am just scared I will be the weird kid who showed up to the wrong party.
What are the unwritten rules? Not the ones on the website. The real ones. The ones that everyone knows and nobody tells you until you break one and get the look.
Is it true that after five minutes, you forget you are naked? Because that sounds like something people say to get you in the door, like “the shot only hurts a little.”
If you answer these, thank you. If you laugh at them, I will probably delete my account and never try. So please do not laugh.
My name is Jordan. I am seventeen. I am scared of my own body, and I am tired of being scared.
New entries in the Naked Voices thread go up every Tuesday and Friday. Read along in order to follow the whole conversation.
