A few years ago, my sons and I visited a public pool, swam for a few hours, then filed into the Mens changing room to shower off, dry off, and put our regular clothes back on. We pulled off our wet swimsuits and headed for the showers. When we entered the shower area, we were surprised to see three male teenagers showering in their swimsuits; they were surprised to see an old fat guy (me) and two teenage boys (my sons) stark naked and expecting to shower that way. They shrieked and ran out of the shower area, then out of the changing room to the outside, waiting until we left to return.
I thought they were crazy. Why would they do that? Everyone showers nude; who would shower in a swimsuit?
But the surprise was on me; like Rip Van Winkle, I had slumbered in societal ignorance while the society had lost its innocence. After asking around and talking to friends (especially younger ones), I learned that same-sex nudity is now considered indecent by many people. Even in all-male gyms and locker rooms, many shower only in swimsuits or underwear and change only in toilet stalls. Since my kids were homeschooled and we seldom visited public pools, we didn't know this social norm had changed.
And like old geezers everywhere, I asked myself: "Has the world gone crazy, or is it just me?"
Not so long ago:
Junior-high and high-school students were required to shower after their P. E. class and before returning to their other classes. Showering was done out in the open in a large tiled hallway, and it was always done nude. Likewise, obtaining a towel and drying off was done within sight of others, and no one thought anything of it. The two sexes were separated from each other, and that was considered all that was necessary for "decency".
P. E. swimming classes in public high schools required male students to swim nude. Only one sex of students used the pool at any given time, and nudity was expected for showers after P. E., so nudity for swimming was not considered unusual. Most schools required females to wear swimsuits, but the males were expected to be nude and not to be concerned about "modesty".
Boy Scout outings involving swimming frequently consisted of nude swimming, and Scout camping often utilized outdoor latrines (which consisted of a ditch that all the boys used and threw a little dirt into afterwards).
Summer camps frequently featured nude swimming if they were single-sex or if the swimmers could be separated by sex.
Every YMCA pool required swimmers to be nude. This included the introductory summer swimming classes for children. Of course, YMCAs were male-only back then; females had the YWCA for their own use.
If you don't believe that our American society was once this casual about same-sex nudity, check out these websites:
Naked Swimming In School Pt. 1 - YouTube
Naked Swimming In School Pt 2 Comp. - YouTube
Naked Swimming In School Pt.3 Comp. - YouTube
Surprised? There's more to come...
I thought they were crazy. Why would they do that? Everyone showers nude; who would shower in a swimsuit?
But the surprise was on me; like Rip Van Winkle, I had slumbered in societal ignorance while the society had lost its innocence. After asking around and talking to friends (especially younger ones), I learned that same-sex nudity is now considered indecent by many people. Even in all-male gyms and locker rooms, many shower only in swimsuits or underwear and change only in toilet stalls. Since my kids were homeschooled and we seldom visited public pools, we didn't know this social norm had changed.
And like old geezers everywhere, I asked myself: "Has the world gone crazy, or is it just me?"
Not so long ago:
Junior-high and high-school students were required to shower after their P. E. class and before returning to their other classes. Showering was done out in the open in a large tiled hallway, and it was always done nude. Likewise, obtaining a towel and drying off was done within sight of others, and no one thought anything of it. The two sexes were separated from each other, and that was considered all that was necessary for "decency".
P. E. swimming classes in public high schools required male students to swim nude. Only one sex of students used the pool at any given time, and nudity was expected for showers after P. E., so nudity for swimming was not considered unusual. Most schools required females to wear swimsuits, but the males were expected to be nude and not to be concerned about "modesty".
Boy Scout outings involving swimming frequently consisted of nude swimming, and Scout camping often utilized outdoor latrines (which consisted of a ditch that all the boys used and threw a little dirt into afterwards).
Summer camps frequently featured nude swimming if they were single-sex or if the swimmers could be separated by sex.
Every YMCA pool required swimmers to be nude. This included the introductory summer swimming classes for children. Of course, YMCAs were male-only back then; females had the YWCA for their own use.
If you don't believe that our American society was once this casual about same-sex nudity, check out these websites:
Naked Swimming In School Pt. 1 - YouTube
Naked Swimming In School Pt 2 Comp. - YouTube
Naked Swimming In School Pt.3 Comp. - YouTube
Surprised? There's more to come...
