“It wasn’t up to me to educate them or to challenge their beliefs.”
While I agree with that generally, I’m sad that what my generation found acceptable, the Nancy Reagan and beyond generations freak out about. From my aged perspective, it’s a major setback. I grew up using public locker rooms and walking about freely and not being embarrassed about my body, with women and girls of all ages. My children are horrified by public locker rooms that don’t have privacy stalls; they would never skinny dip. Body shame is not a value I imparted to them, but one society gave them because of increasing conservative religious values taking hold. When our family went to the Boundary Waters every year, we swam in the lakes. When I was in my teens and 20s, streaking was huge; happened at my high school graduation and we found it hysterical. Even my parents laughed. Bodies were acceptable. When I worked in a national park for 6 years, dozens of people ran naked with the first moon of August every year, all good fun. Naked firepit parties. We used to go to hot springs all over the west; a swimsuit wasn’t even thought about. We went to beaches, no clothing. It was normal and natural, without shame or crime.
So maybe I can’t challenge the beliefs of others, but I’m sad that the beliefs of others have so much control over my life now. I don’t see it as an improvement.
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