When You're Naked, There's Nothing Left
You're stripped of everything that brings you security
And with 100's of people around you, there's nowhere to hide...

A few years back, I would have just skipped the shower and toughed it out
But when you're at a music festival in the middle of summer, that's full of dust and dirt
There is nothing better than taking a nice cold shower, and cleansing your body
You instantly feel refreshed and gain new energy for another day of dancing
But there's one problem, the lines can be extremely long for the showers
Especially during the late morning and again around sunset as well
In fact, the line seemed to grow longer with each passing day
Why? I think most people skip the shower the first 2 days
That wasn't an option for me though, I needed a rinse
But by day 3 of the festival, the line was too long
And I needed to find a new shower solution
Luckily, we camped right next to water
And I had a few things I could use
Time to improvise my friends...
Bottle and Sponge
If you've ever been to a music festival
Then you should understand the infrastructure
If you haven't, this is what we are dealing with most times...
There is a camping section outside the actual venue of stages and music
It's usually split into some different areas like VIP Camping, Campers, and Tents
For this most recent experience, I was staying in the tent area, which is usually my choice
There's something special about camping together and interacting with neighbors
It's not like a normal campground with designated areas, it's a total free for all
Luckily, we arrived a few hours before the gates opened to get in the line
And we were able to get a decent camping spot next to some water
Not only is this great for filling water bottles and drinking, etc.
It's great for brushing your teeth and showering as well
But the faucets are small, and you can't get under
So you need to fill a bottle with water instead
And pour it over yourself/body to rinse
While using a sponge to clean
It's not too bad at all...
Naked or Not?
I could have worn my swimsuit
But I was wearing it every day dancing
And I wanted it to feel like a shower not a rinse
Meaning I needed to clean my entire body...everything
One more problem, there's no privacy in the tent camping area
Yeah, they have the showers, but as I said, the lines were now too long
This meant that it was easiest to stand out by the water station and do my thing
But before I did, I remembered all the fear I used to have inside of me
All the insecurities about myself and my body and who I was
Memories of being scared to change in the lockers
Memories of all the bullying from years ago
Memories of my own families words
But now I block it all out easily
And down the suit went
I was totally free...
Unexpected Growth
Now, while I showered
100's of people walked right by me
I have no idea who looked, but some surely did...
In the end, I was only concerned with getting myself clean
Which meant I needed to focus on cleaning and not on the passers-by
If you translate that, it means I was worried about me and not the noise around me
And when that happens, you get into the zone and feel complete tranquility
All the insecurity and fear spills off you like the water on your body
There's nothing left there but you and what's inside your soul
It's similar to being a creator in a way as well my friends
Once you strip away all the insecurity and doubt
You're just left to create, share and inspire
The canvas is finally blank for you
No more hiding/covering up
You can be yourself...
The Lesson
We are all different
And we all get dealt a different card
But you have to attempt to step away from all the BS...
I spent so many years wanting to impress the people around me
But it wasn't until I started to try and impress myself that things began changing
And I did this by investing more in my health (mental & physical), wellness, and spirituality
Which allowed me to better align with my core values, goals and aspirations in life
This alignment then removed a lot of the insecurity I was carrying around
And I was able to see things in myself I had never seen before
Things that others have seen in me for a long time
So, when I stood there naked by the water
I acknowledged all the work I put in
To get to the place I am today
Standing with nothing
But everything...
What are you doing to invest in your health, wellness, and spirituality?
With Love,
Steven Arthur George