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Open Showers


Open Showers  

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  1. 1. When it comes to open showers at the gym or elsewhere , , , ,

    • I strip down naked and use the open showers
    • I get anxious/ nervous and avoid the open showers
    • I use the open shower, but shower with underwear or swimsuit
    • I use the open shower but shower towards a wall


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I grew up with these.  Either the row of showers against the walls or the ring of showers where you all face each other.  The ring was a special conundrum for some guys.  Either you faced other guys and soaped up your junk or faced the room and soaped up your junk but either way chances were good you're wagging it at someone. It's a case of "it is what it is."

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I too grew up with open showers. Terrifying when a teenager at school and youngest in the class, the progress of puberty is far more apparent at that age... or lack of! I mostly avoided them at school, gym was always last 2 periods on Wednesday so I'd head straight home.

College years were never an issue, never really had much anxiety over how my cock looked to others, seems that most guys were average and usually shrivelled after physical exercise anyway.

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Until I went away to college I didn't know there was anything but open showers.  From when I was 5 years old showering with boys and men at the YMCA until I was a senior in high school open showers was normal to me.  The first guy I ever watched jack off was in an open shower, I was about 10 at the time.  At the time his dick looked really big but I doubt it was...it was just really big compared to me.  

In the 80s my wife and I put in a pool and two open shower heads in full view.  It was always lovely watching gals and guys lather up, rinse and dry.  

Now, no open showers to be had, no pool.  I do have a lake to bathe in during the summer which I love.  

 

 

 

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Open or gang showers, as they were known in the 60's, were all part of the Junior High gym class eye opening experience. There were no options. After your work out, everyone dropped your shirt, shorts and jock and rushed into the open shower. Time was of the essence, as it was limited before your next subject/class started  Curiosity of who was the smallest and biggest in gym class was established on the first day. While not the smallest, I was in the running for that title.

Jump forward 50 years, now shower in front of a pool full of people at nudist facilities. Don't even give it a second thought. 

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I used to hate them at school and would always linger until almost everyone else had washed so that I had them to myself. 
 

   Now I love them but I am shy about my own little guy and so strip off and shower against the wall normally. I do love watching other guys shower though. 

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Open showers make me very uneasy and self conscious when I have to use one. I’ve felt that way since Jr. High gym class where showers were mandatory.  Not starting puberty until you are almost sixteen years old brings it’s own particular set of difficulties a young boy has to deal with. I still avoid them if at all possible. 

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There aren't many opportunities for me to take showers in a public place these days. When I was working and going to the gym near work during the day, I'd take a shower after working out. The showers at this gym were semi private. Most of the guys at the gym at this time were 20 years or more younger than I was and most had hot bodies at that age. I was more self conscious about my deteriorated body lol than I was about my cock. Probably most of the guys at the gym were straight and no one seemed to be cruising other guys although it's hard to know for sure. But I noticed that most of these guys had average or smaller than average cocks. Big hung guys were in the minority. 

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4 hours ago, joey said:

My town has 5 gyms - none have open / gang showers.  They are becoming a thing of the past.  

Seems like in the past the "physical education establishment" thought group nudity, at least for boys, was healthy.  I heard gym teachers say or imply as much back in the 1950s and early 60s.

They would talk like it would enable young people to "get past" body issues.  But, the effect seemed to be the opposite.  A status hierarchy would immediately emerge!  Maybe that was the actual idea, ie. that boys need to realize and accept their genital status, low or high.

Maybe it was good for most, but at the expense of the few at the very bottom.  Was it "our role" to make everyone else feel good about themselves?

Edited by Guest
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It's been mentioned here that the YMCA used to enforce nude swimming for boys. It used to be that woolen swimming trunks would clog the filters, but it endured for decades.

One article says...

“The boys were affected morally, physically and psychologically by forcing them to swim in the nude,” one of the mothers noted at the meeting. But the petition was voted down. The all-male board claimed swim trunks would be prohibitively expensive. They also claimed that swimming nude would build a man’s character.

“Physical education considers that this experience is a good one for later life, for example the armed services, where the disregard for privacy is real and serious,” the director of the board noted.

Until Fairly Recently, The YMCA Actually Required Swimmers To Be Nude.
 

This other article says that women suffered humiliation in other ways... swim suits colour coded by bust size.

A brief humiliating history of swimming in gym class

Edited by RodEnuf
Fixed links to external articles.
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@new2day I cannot even begin to imagine the embarrassment and humiliation I would have gone through had I been forced to swim nude with a bunch of other young boys. It would have been extremely traumatic at the very least. I honestly doubt I could have done it. I would have in all likelihood become physically sick to my stomach. I was almost sixteen years old before I even started getting the first indications that puberty had begun for me. 

Anyway, enough about that. I really enjoyed viewing your pictures on Zoig...especially the full frontal torso picture of you with your large flaccid penis and testicles hanging down. VERY nice.

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@Allen43 Puberty is a traumatic time for all, even more so when you're a late starter. A few female friends have had similar stories about school showers after PE being traumatic with some girls developing very early, and some still waiting.

I took the torso pic straight from a warm bed, so I think that's the most favourable view I've had for a while!

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2 hours ago, Allen43 said:

@new2day I cannot even begin to imagine the embarrassment and humiliation I would have gone through had I been forced to swim nude with a bunch of other young boys. It would have been extremely traumatic at the very least. I honestly doubt I could have done it. I would have in all likelihood become physically sick to my stomach. I was almost sixteen years old before I even started getting the first indications that puberty had begun for me. 

Anyway, enough about that. I really enjoyed viewing your pictures on Zoig...especially the full frontal torso picture of you with your large flaccid penis and testicles hanging down. VERY nice.

When I was young nude swimming was still required at the YMCA.  I participated in nude swimming with my father.  I definitely was traumatized by the comparison with other boys (size and puberty), and oddly, comparing my father's small member to the other men, all of whom "hung meat" by comparison.

When I first swam at my High School pool as a 7th grader and later as a freshman and sophomore, absurd "tank suits" were required that pretty much showed everything.  We also had to stand in line nude after showers with tank suit in hand for cleanliness inspection.  Girls were required to wear the tank suits also revealing their development in detail.  Many girls, after one experience, got parental excuses not to go swimming.

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6 hours ago, new2day said:

“The boys were affected morally, physically and psychologically by forcing them to swim in the nude,” one of the mothers noted at the meeting.

A mother or a smother....
The times they are achangin',  we are going backwards....nudity OMG NO

Nude swimming excerpts
*But,” he conceded, “no one really questioned it.

*When it came to all-male activities–like swimming–there wasn’t much of a taboo around stripping down.
*Our society has so sexualized nudity, particularly child nudity, that we can’t conceive of a time when kids went naked without any sexual implications,” offers the narrator.
*But nude swimming is sort of an interesting exception to the general pattern of our culture becoming less Victorian as time goes on.
*Today, if some head of aquatics at the Y suggested naked swimming, let alone tried to actually implement it, they’d probably lose their job immediately.

Grow up with nude swimming: children, teens, adults  and the naked body and it's variations are normalized.
We wouldn't have 10,000 people in this forum, we would know penises come in all shapes and sizes and all are fine.

Whats needed is education, not 'banning' nudity or group showers (band-aid solution).

 

Edited by canuck45
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I agree, the more we hide, the more unhealthy relationships with our bodies form. The only time most teens see a penis now is in porn, and that's not a good or fair comparison by any stretch.

I was watching a programme recently about sex education in the Netherlands, they took a bunch of British kids over to see what's done. They have a far more open and liberal approach, starting at a young age they are taught about heterosexual and homosexual relationships, the body, how it works etc. It's been a long time since I was at school, but there was literally no sex education for me... I foolishly relied on classmates and scavenged porn mags lol

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13 hours ago, canuck45 said:

Grow up with nude swimming: children, teens, adults  and the naked body and it's variations are normalized.
We wouldn't have 10,000 people in this forum, we would know penises come in all shapes and sizes and all are fine.

Whats needed is education, not 'banning' nudity or group showers (band-aid solution).

But I can testify it did not work out well for everyone back when nude swimming and/or showering was the norm though we often heard exactly "penises come in all shapes and sizes and are fine."  No one really believed that and a size hierarchy developed immediately.

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On 1/5/2020 at 3:59 PM, canuck45 said:

Grow up with nude swimming: children, teens, adults  and the naked body and it's variations are normalized.
We wouldn't have 10,000 people in this forum, we would know penises come in all shapes and sizes and all are fine.

I might not be here without the mandatory nude swimming/showering, so it would 9,999.  "Normalized?"  No, a genital status hierarchy was formed.

Maybe those near the middle of the normal curve were relieved and those at the top were empowered.

Edited by Guest
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On 1/5/2020 at 3:59 PM, canuck45 said:

A mother or a smother....

The times they are achangin',  we are going backwards....nudity OMG NO

Nude swimming excerpts

*But,” he conceded, “no one really questioned it.
*When it came to all-male activities–like swimming–there wasn’t much of a taboo around stripping down.
*Our society has so sexualized nudity, particularly child nudity, that we can’t conceive of a time when kids went naked without any sexual implications,” offers the narrator.

*But nude swimming is sort of an interesting exception to the general pattern of our culture becoming less Victorian as time goes on.

*Today, if some head of aquatics at the Y suggested naked swimming, let alone tried to actually implement it, they’d probably lose their job immediately.

I was there:

"No one really questioned it."  LIE.

"Not much of a taboo around stripping down."  LIE

"society has so sexualized nudity."   Absurd!  Nothing naturally sexually attractive (or not) about the nude body?  No natural competition among people for sexual attractiveness?  No hierarchy of "looks"?

The Physical Education (PE) establishment was in rebellion against Victorianism.  The purpose of "modesty" was to lessen "looks" competition.

Parents finally demanded PE Depts stop scarring their kids for life at a vulnerable period.

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(Some) Parents also demand that schools not teach their kids any or even factual information about sex and sexuality.

Yes, there is nothing inherently sexual about nudity. Sexuality, attractiveness, and the like exists in the mind, influenced my psychological and social influence. For example,  if a man has an erect penis, does that mean that he's horny? Not necessarily, as there are physiological  mechanisms that create erections without the need for mental sexual arousal.  But some of us have been led to believe that an erection can only be associated with sex and sexuality.  in other words, it has been sexualized, as has much of the body. 

 

Similarly, if you educate more people about sex and sexuality and how it exists as a multilayered spectrum rather than a set dichotomy with false expectations (as well as de sexualize nudity),  you're less likely to have people growing up believing in a penis size hierarchy. I have a group of friends who were/are in the Army with me.  I have the largest penis size, but the "patriarch" of our friend group is the eldest with the largest family.  But each member of the group has their own area of "expertise" that commands respect.  Not to mention we all actually fucking like each other.  I contend that any person who actually believes that its fair or relevant to define and rank men based on penis size alone regarding merit or character is either a person who desperately needs sexual education or a person who needs an attitude adjustment.  For that matter, the same goes for a society that enables such a person. 

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Gymnasium - Greek:  Gymnos naked
Historically, the gymnasium was used for exercise, communal bathing, and scholarly and philosophical pursuits. 

Modern society is loosing on all 4 of those valuable aspects of society......hmmmm  time to bring back gymnasiums

*"No one really questioned it."  LIE.
TRUTH , no one did until a few people started the shitball rolling.
Just like strapping wasn't questioned in schools and discipline was maintained.  A few whined and now no corporal punishment and bullying is rampant.  My precious little johnnie.

*"Not much of a taboo around stripping down."  LIE
TRUTH.  I remember  every year going camping, ripping off my close as a wee kid (2-5).  The TABOO was created by adults that said, OH YOU CAN"T DO THAT.  Why is it when no prudish adults are around people go skinny dipping.  Because NOTHING taboo about nudity.
And clothing became a status symbol of control and power , naked we are all equal.

*"society has so sexualized nudity."   Absurd!  Nothing naturally sexually attractive (or not) about the nude body?  No natural competition among people for sexual attractiveness?  No hierarchy of "looks"?
TRUTH People still are against nudity and naturalist camps, because they equate nudity with sexuality. 
Remember bathing suits used to look like long underwear, god forbid you show an ankle in the western world, you cheap hussy. 
Remember missionaries brought western clothing (modesty) to the natives who barely wore anything.  Not modesty-PRUDES. 
OMG miniskirst, might as well nothing (as if nothing is bad)....PRUDES
Is the statue of David sexual....no because nudity is not sexual except in the minds of PRUDES.
Parents have been reported for having film developed with pics of their naked children.....PRUDES
OMG a bare breast,  that woman is breastfeeding in public, has she no self-respect...PRUDES

*No natural competition among people for sexual attractiveness
NONE and that is why the makeup industry is making billions.  Nothing natural at all, all artificial. 
Conundrum:  I doll myself up to be sexually attractive, BUT don't look at me like I am a sex object.

*The Physical Education (PE) establishment was in rebellion against Victorianism. 
TRUTH, it was to keep people fit and healthy. PE dates back to the ancient Greeks and probably even before that.

*The purpose of "modesty" was to lessen "looks" competition.
Victorian modesty= clothed and covered up ankle to chin (maybe we should all wear burkas)
Clothing doesn't less any competition, it increases it.
Clothing is a means of showing wealth, position and status....100% competitive, suits and top hats, ornamentation of royalty (golden crown for a hat)...Royal purple, peasants can't wear that colour, the church robes....   power, wealth, status..
I mean who needs $500 jeans.... SNOBBERY
Why are they looking at introducing uniforms in public schools... remove status (competition) by wealth.

Parents finally demanded PE Depts stop scarring their kids for life at a vulnerable period.
Funny how kids raised with participation in naturalist camps aren't scarred. Pretty sure the ancient greeks weren't scarred either.

Parents DEMAND a lot of things for their poor little precious johnnie, everyone has to accommodate the outlier.

PE has become an elective here instead of a mandatory subject.  Some parents whined their kids aren't athletic and its not fair to them....it was dropped
Might explain why so many adults are overweight and almost 40% OBESE and 17% of kids under 19 are OBESE.

What's next, my kid isn't academically inclined, remove math, socials, science, english from the curriculum.
We are becoming a society that caters to the LCD.....sad

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