I am lending my support to the cause to raise awareness. I have a couple of friends who were as well as a family member.

The links below provide information which help to explain what sexual assault is and how we can show our support for victims of sexual assault. Please show your support for this cause.

[url]http://www.nsvrc.org/saam/sexual-assault-awareness-month-home[/url]
[url]http://www.cdc.gov/features/sexualviolence/[/url]

I discovered a few years ago, that I had MS ( Multiple Sclerosis ). I recently discovered that there were a number of my friends I have known over the years who also had it. Now I tell you this not because I am looking for sympathy from anyone or that I am wanting to be recognized any differently. I am telling you this because it made me painfully aware (pun intended) that unless illness affects you, you don't want to know about it or you don't care. As the person with illness you are afraid to tell people about it because you have this internally stigmatized and think this is true of the people you meet. So you internalize it and keep it from people. The reason I discovered in alot of the cases, that some of my friends had MS was because they saw posts from me that made them aware of the fact that I had it. They contacted me because they wanted more interaction with someone who may know what they are going thru or they just wanted to let me know they were going thru the same thing and that if I ever needed a friend to talk to on the subject to feel free.

Here's the thing I don't understand. Why do people take anything that does not affect them directly, with the proverbial grain of salt, and then why when it does affect them they want to congregate with people like them? This site is an example of that. Alot of us are here because we are looking for people of like mind with respect to nudity and we fear the reactions of people who we think would not understand this. We live in a world where societal norms are the expectation and living outside those norms is considered deviant or bad and those in the norm want nothing to do with those who are not in the societal view of what is normal.

When I was growing up, I had a lot of friends, black, white, asian, latino, men and women. I did not know what racism or sexism was until many years later. When we are young we have the most innocent look on life and the people around. We don't see difference, because at that age difference does not exists yet. When I was growing up, between the ages of 3 - 7 or 8, it was nothing to play nude, even outside. No one cared and it was considered innocent. After a certain point we start internalizing difference based on the environment we are in and the way our parents teach us. In my case, I was taught that black, white, asian, latino, men and women were all individuals just like me and should be treated as equals. I agree with that to this day. When it came to nudity and illness, I was not taught much on that but my experiences were what guided me thru these and the environment in which I grew up in. Racism and sexism are still there. That I can not deny. I don't know if that will change but I do think these are getting better. Nudity and illness are still culturally engrained and I don't know where either of these are headed. I would like to believe that people are coming round to the understanding for both but I don't see the evidence yet.

BTW, as far as gays and lesbians. I recognize that this is also another one of those things that has been labeled in our society. I did not mention it until now because I don't know much about the subject. I know it is starting to come around and that people are opening up to the facts. The reality is that I suspect this will also be more open in the years to come and maybe more so than nudity and illness. But I can not really speak to something to which I have no frame of reference. I'm sorry if I offended anyone who is gay or lesbian on this subject. That was not my intent. I was only trying to point out what I believe is an inherent problem in society and something that I would like to see resolved in my lifetime, however unlikely it may be.

I have been here now for a couple of years. In that time I have received and sent friend requests. I read a status earlier today that got me curious. The status was a question. Regarding how many people read a profile from top to bottom. I as a matter of fact do, and as such try to keep my mind open to the possibilities. In that semi-discussion there were a couple of things mentioned about PM'ing individuals before sending friend requests. Having said that I am wondering how the majority here make the decision and do they follow any protocol before sending a friend requests?

If there was one thing you could change about it what would that be?

Most of us are on here for one of several reasons. And of those reasons, 1 of 2 common reasons will be in most everyone's reason. Voyeurism and/or Exhibitionism. I have been here under this id for about a year and half now. Previously was on with a different id. I personally, came here for because I am an exhibitionists and as well quite voyeuristic. Whether you are here to meet someone for whatever reason (sex/love/companionship/just plain fun), you too probably have one of these underlying reasons whether you realize it or not. There are easier ways to find all of the above than coming here.

No most of us have the curiosity if nothing else but some form of interests or addiction to either exhibitionism or voyeurism or even both.

I recently started talking to two individuals on here and found that one of them was sort of an exhibitionists at heart. Never really took it to great lengths but probably was very inhibited as a result of upbringing. Now I find her telling me that because of NN she's learned to open up and explore more of her exhibitionists nature.

Our culture is driven to believe that nudity in front of others is a bad thing. It's sexual in nature and unless it's for sex it should not be imposed ever. Note, I am only talking about the culture in the U.S. Other countries have developed different tolerances and different beliefs towards nudity than we have. Frankly I don't claim to know much about them as I have not live outside the U.S. for any significant amount of time. However, if I have learned anything, with maybe the exception of asian cultures, most everyone else seems to be a little more free with it and not as crazed about sex when they see a nude individual. Is that good or bad? Personally, I have never felt that a culture that thinks sex is implied when nudity occurs, is very intelligent.

Which leads me back to my original discussion point. Most everyone is exhibitionists in nature. We all like being in the spotlight to one degree or another. We all also like to watch to some degree or another. This site does not make an individual become either of these. If anything it opens up the possibilities available for most of us. Nudity is natural and normal but when it's covered up, the natural tendency is to try and expose it. That's where this site comes in. With this, if you have not already become very aware of your desire to be an exhibitionists, you will will soon discover there are ways to explore this without offending people. You will also discover that there are more people like you in the world.

Embrace the inner exhibitionists or voyeur in you and enjoy it. If you do you will discover new possibilities and new ways to have fun that alot of us in the U.S. try to cover up.

As some of you may know, I am an amateur photographer. Always been pretty good with making photos of others and other scenery. Myself, well that's another story. No matter how many shots I make I never feel like the shots work. So I have decided to try my hand at digital modification to turn shots into more artistic and visibly interesting shots. Not sure I will succeed but then I will wait and see.

I used that subject very intentionally. That song by Whitesnake describes me to a tee right about now. See, I have never been in love. For most of my life, love was just a word. It did not have much meaning to me. Now I find myself in a strangely peculiar situation. I find myself asking, how did this happen. I was not looking for love. I did not join this site to find love. I mean how could you. This site which was intended for voyeurs and exhibitionists. I guess it's not impossible, but can it be called real love? Or is that just the physical representation of what we all envision as love.

I don't know to be honest! I am not sure I will ever know. Like the words of the song I wonder is this love or am I dreaming? Is this the love that I've been searching for?

I have to admit that was one of my favorite songs from the 90's and I was not really a Whitesnake fan at the time. Coming back to my story. I really had a rocky relationship with love. When I was very young, (not more than 7), I had a very traumatic circumstance occur that affected me most of my life. It was then in fact that I swore an oath to myself that I would never allow myself to fall in love. The question of what that trauma was and why it resulted in that oath is for another blog maybe. Suffice to say I fully intended to live out my life without falling in love. But now a good 36 years after that oath, I am here to tell you, it's not something you can avoid. At least if the question in my subject can be answered in the affirmative.

I have never been a trusting person. Trust never came easily to me. So it is only natural that love would also not come easy. As I sit here writing this I know that trust can not happen overnight, but then if that's the case the what is this feeling in my heart. If love and trust go together then surely if I believe I am in love the I must also trust the person I think I am in love with. No wonder people say this love is crazy.

Now that I sit here putting the final touch on this I ask myself if she knows. I want her to be happy. Happiness, for her though means, I miss out on knowing if the feeling is real. I can't tell her to drop everything to be with me because she has a life to and it would be crazy for her to do that. I don't know how this happened or even if it's real.

The song is so very prophetic in that it questions the meaning. I want to believe it's possible but how can it be. I may never know.

Wondering how people on here manage to go public with nudity without getting caught or police trouble. Always wanted to try it but afraid of getting caught.

I am just checking out this thing called blogging. Odd that I would choose an adult website to try this out. Being into technology, you would think I use blogs more often. However, I have never used it until today. Always seemed to be a waste of valuable time. Of course, that is what life is all about. Simply passing time from one moment to the next. If it sounds like I am ranting here, well then I probably am.