Sunday, August 18, 2013

Dear US Forest Service: Please Try More Naked Time and Places

While driving today the Bare Platypus heard one of those radio messages "from the AD council," which seem to be more prevalent on weekends when stations have sold less paid advertising.

This radio spot began with various members of a family making lots of talk about technology, computer, and social networking.  There was the daughter raving about how many likes she was getting on her postings, the mother interrupting her children to read repeated texts, phone messaging beeping in, cable TV, etc. etc.

Then silence.  Then birds chirping as an announcer said "Get unplugged this weekend." "Connect with your family in the outdoors of a US forest to hear streams and see bluebirds and find yourself as a family again..."  This isn't verbatim.  Just the essence of the ad.

The Platypus crew can relate.  We love the great outdoors.  We think the Forest Service makes a good point.

But the Platypus also got to thinking, "What if my wife and I went to most such forests and found some secluded trails and wanted to experience nature as closely as possible by being in our natural, nude state?  No loud radios or technology.  No littering.  No disturbing the flora and fauna.  Just walking naked. Most of the US Forest Service wouldn't like us taking them up on their "back to nature offer" that way!

In fairness to the Service there are a FEW designated clothing-optional places on Service lands.  Mostly out west like at Cougar Hot Springs in Oregon.  Or parts of Service land around Lake Tahoe.  There are more places where folks go bare among the bears, of course, yet it's usually while looking over their shoulders hoping that Ranger Smith won't have a problem if they catch you dressed in nothing but what Yogi and Boo Boo wore.

So, after many years, and many communications from many nudists, its still very rare that one can truly enjoy forest and open sky in one's birthday suit among the agency's millions of acres.  We're not sure that anyone in the agency was ever really listening. 

Still, they'd like us to listen to their advertisements.  Go offline and get unplugged.  Get back to nature and get closer to it.  Just not too far back or too close. 

If you see a bare bum it better be on the internet...

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