Nekkid!!!!

What is the fusss? You've all got one. It's your body, and it's covered with skin to keep your insides inside your inside.

The World Naked Bike Ride had an event in Cardiff yesterday. I was going to participate, but another engagement came up (honest). The reactions of my friends to my telling them this was, well, frankly, in my view, a bit wierd. Some seemed to believe I would only do it out of some sort of pervyness, several registered disgust at the idea of my naked body being on display (to be fair I'm more oil slick than oil painting, but I've seen worse), and the all-pervading reaction was one of 'oh, no, I couldn't possibly do that!'. All giggled uncomfortably like embarrassed children.

Britain is a funny place to talk about, or do, public naked stuff. Culturally, we are European, though that is sometimes difficult to believe, but it seems to me that attitudes to this on mainland Europe vary but can be very roughly divided into the Mediterannean countries, where long centuries of Catholic influence have equated nakedness with sinfulness and sexuality, and the Northern countries, where the winters are so long, cold and dreadful that as soon as the warm weather turns up they can't wait to get thier kit off. We seem to fall into a sort of unpleasantly prurient crack inbetween. Being publicly naked is not illegal, but using nakedness to threaten,insult or offend is, the law being quite sensible for once. Yesterday's ride had a (uniformed) police escort.

I'd have ridden naked around Cardiff yesterday because firstly I am in agreement with the aims of the WNBR events, which are to focus attention on the world's overdependence on carbon fuels, and to promote the concept that nakedness is a normal and natural thing which should not lead to the sexual objectivication of the naked person, at least not in a public setting, and secondly because, while I am not particularly proud of my own physique, I absolutely refuse to be in any way ashamed of or embarrasssed by it; this I consider to be an adult and healthy attitude.

I do not assume that everyone or anyone else feels the same as I do about this, and I am obviously in a minortiy, but as with all minorities, it would have been nice to have been among like minded folk. I will certainly do it next year if the chance arises.

Then there were the 'practical' objections. Yesterday here was warm and sunny, so no-one could argue that one, but there was 'won't it be uncomfortable? I mean, eeewww....' Well, I don't want to go too far down that line of discussion, but a piece of cloth or tissue between saddle and the area discussed seems a fairly obvious way of avoiding the unpleasantness. 'Suppose you see someone you know in the crowd?' Well, smile and wave, I suppose. IF they know you well enough it'll be no suprise to them, and if they don't, they aren't really that important are they? And the inevitable 'What if you get an erection?' It's World Cup time, hang a Brasilian flag off it... anyone who has ever been publicly naked will tell you that it is just not that sort of situation where an erection occurs, ever. 'But, there'll be women and everything, won't you stare?' No, why would I? Why would you? Get a grip, man-sorry, I mean, control yourself! And, to my mind wierdest of all from some of the ladies 'oh, yeah, if I was young and sexy, then maybe I'd be up for it'. So what are you saying here, girls-that you are natural exhibitionists who are now too ashamed of whatever it is you've got to indulge yourselves. Willing to bet my next pension cheque you were just as shy when you were yonng and sexy anyway-you're fooling no one! This of course relates to another objention 'Yeah, but there'll be some right mingers I bet'. Check yourself out before you comment about other people with more openmindedness than you, buddy.

Come on people, it's only skin! Grow up and get over yourselves...