Revisiting a Fence Post From the Past

Back in July 2011, a time when I shifted to engaging in Naturism on a more frequent basis, I made a small, treed rest stop near our village a “go to” place for some clothes-freedom time. I would do a bit of sunbathing, a stroll along the back edge of the tiny park with only a barbed-wire fence separating me from the pasture that was rarely used. On rare occasions, I would cross over the fence and dare to walk across the pasture, making sure that I hugged the line of trees as I was very visible to passing highway traffic on the other side of the fence. What I remember most about that time was the mosquitoes and the tension, as well as the sheer joy at being out of my clothing.

This morning, en route to two chores that were required out of town, I decided to pay a return visit. It was different this time. The rest stop is barricaded and the place is in a sad state of affairs. However, the fence is still standing strong as it does its job of containing the cattle that pasture there from time to time. The row of trees is still there as well. The changes are within me. I am much more confident and my hair has turned into silver. And, though it might not be noticeable, I am trimmer having lost ten pounds over those eleven years. My skin is still dark.

I don’t want to return to the past, it is enough to have moments such as this one where the past is acknowledged and honoured. My present life is so much better. One would almost think that time heals and one becomes wiser. The year 2011 was a tough year for me. It was the year my mother died. That event chased me back into psychoanalysis and that led me to becoming a pilgrim who can’t seem to stop wandering around the world. In a way, I would have to say it was a time of pivotal change in who I was and how I would lead my life going forward.

What event changed your life?