Friday, June 17, 2005

Naked Public Showering with Other Guys

Usually, when I shower at the gym I wear my swimming shorts . This is done under the pretext that I'm either going for a swim or just had one, so showering with them on will wash all of the chlorine out. If I'm honest, though, it's really because I don't feel comfortable being completely naked with anyone. Unless, of course, it's a girl and she's completely naked too. And even then...

You see, at school there wasn't really a big culture of showering (and being naked) after Games or P.E.. When the new Head of Department said we all had to shower before changing back into our uniform, we'd just run the length of the showers in our kit to get our to get a bit wet.

The changing room at my gym, however, is full of naked blokes when I go. Fat men, muscley men, skinny men, hairy men, completely bold men, white men, black men. So it's also full of dicks, bollox and pubes, of equal variety.

The other day, I forgot my swimming shorts. Though rather than skyving off the gym, or going home smelly, I decided to grasp this opportunity to face my insecurities and experience, for the first time since puberty: Naked Public Showering with Other Guys. Throuhout the day various anxieties crossed my mind: What if someone stares at it? What if it shirvels up to a microscopic size? Or worse, what if I get a most-un-natural erection?

After my workout I quickly got undressed, wrapped my towel around my waist (I wasn't quite ready for extended periods of nudity in the changing rooms, although some guys stand fully naked infront of the mirror and moisturise all over) and walked to the showers. I took my towel off and looped it through one fo the steel hoops on the wall, as close to the showers as I could find. I was naked. I stepped into the shower area. There were about six other naked guys in there, more than in my worst fears. I went to the shower at the end, out of the way; it was cold because it's at the end of the system and there were so many others running. I persevered for a short while, at least it would put out any concerns of an erection! In the end it was too cold though - I had to move to a hotter shower, right in the middle.

I could feel eyes watching me. What's wrong? Am I too small? Too skinny? Too hairy? Too spotty? Probably just too self-conscious. I quickly showered, facing the wall mainly, and cleaned the bits I can't usually easily get too. It felt more natural than wearing shorts, I felt liberated. Still, when I got back to my towel and died myself off, I was relieved to tie the towel around me and restore my modesty.

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