For Brenda and Gary Spangler, it all started one hot summer in the 1970s.
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"We found that by simply going nude around the house, we could keep the air conditioning at a much lower setting,” Brenda said. "Seventy-eight or 80 was fairly comfortable. ... It first of all was just that desire to be more comfortable in your own skin. And then it was like, who else does this?”
Surely, the Spanglers figured, there were more people who did this. Surely there were others who enjoyed being garment-free in a clothing-required world. They were right.
More than 50,000 people are members of the American Association for Nude Recreation. This week is National Nude Recreation Week.
The couple from Choctaw, along with several others, own Oaklake Trails Naturist Resort, a clothing-optional resort in Depew. Oaklake Trails is just like any other resort, Brenda said, except for the nudity. There's hiking, camp fires, dances, swimming and other activities. Several families camp out or stay in RVs. A few people even live there.
The Spanglers are retired, but they still are involved at Oaklake. Gary is the president. Brenda was nice enough to answer some of my questions.
Is everyone naked all the time at Oaklake?
I enjoy being nude all the time because that's just me. So it's really just your own comfort level. We do require nudity in the pool and the hot tub. They both maintain their ideal status without the swimsuit material.
Do you have to wear sunscreen all the time?
If you have sensitive areas that haven't seen the sun in a long time, you'd want to protect those more. It's just using a lot of good common sense. I'm out all the time and I cannot tell you the last time I had a sunburn.
Do you wear shoes?
Yes. Our daughter doesn't, and I've never understood that. And her little boys are the same. I have to; my feet are too sensitive. It really depends on what you're doing.
Are you self-conscious?
I guess all women are to some degree. I doubt very seriously if there's a woman alive that couldn't say, "Oh, I don't like something about me.” And I just get up in the morning and say, "Well, I don't like my legs but I'm grateful I have them.” I just say get over it. We all have our imperfections. We (nudists) are not out there to judge. We're out there to have a good time.”
Do you get negative reactions to nudism?
There are some people that, no matter how many times you present the truth to them and the facts to them, they don't change their minds from a given concept. That's life. That's just the way it is.
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AANR doesn't have anywhere near 50,000 members. Last time I checked it was more like 41,000. I wish they would quit lying about having all those members. Yet they call themselves the "Credible voice of nude recreation". And the members they do have are many times forced into AANR by their clubs. To join your local club you have to join AANR. If they didn't do that AANR wouldn't exist. AANR just had elections and only a bit over 3,000 people even bothered voting.
It's not necessarily a political sort of thing; I'm definitely right of center, I more or less quit wearing clothes around the house four years ago, and if I can ever find someone to go with me, I'm going to drop in some day at Oaklake. (I am a member of AANR.)
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(Hi Cyndi!)