Why Naked Bodies Don’t Bother Me Anymore.

Ok. Maybe not ALL naked bodies, ladies bodies. Lol!

Should you be a lady, planning to go to the gym for that bod you want or to keep fit, lemme warn you about the culture shock that awaits you. Naked women. Many many naked women all shapes, all sizes. Big boobs, small ones, round butts, sagging butts, dimpled ones, old ones smooth butts as well- some too smooth to be real.

You need to understand my background. I went to a girls boarding school that was all about privacy. We had showers that had curtains; and yes, one girl per shower- none of that “kuja unisugue mgongo Shiru” nonsense that you find in many shagz schools (lol! no offense but what is that?!) My sister and I couldn’t even change clothes in front of each other till recently! hahahha! Yaani kuoneana haya was real. Then I joined a gym near my place of work. My goal was to shed the baby weight and get back to that purple dress with the leopard print I loved…siiiiigh… Ended up giving it to my small sis eventually. Anyway! I enrolled.

Weeeeh! My friend! Sema shock! First day in the gym, walking into the changing room, backpack in hand, I am met by a woman in her 40’s, her skin dark as the berry Tupac rapped about, you know, the darker the berry song? Yeah, sat on one of the benches, legs apart, her head bent as she vigorously applied her Limara lotion on her thick dark thighs, her sagging boobs swaying from side to side. Oh yes, she was completely naked. I was very confused. Like, I didn’t know whether I should close my eyes, turn away or pretend not to be bothered. But I was. My eyes felt betrayed. It was like looking at my naked mother; and I don’t know about you, but I am scared of curses and we all know when older female MP’s start asking us during a rally, “NITOE?!” we cover our eyes or switch off our Tv screens. I ain’t about that life man.

Just as I was making up my mind to pretend to go to the loo as I give my naked stranger a chance to get decent, lo and behold! Another naked body briskly walked past me. A light skin chic this time, her body still dripping water from her hot shower with steam blowing on her freckled back, her big chest and buttocks bouncing as she walked. She did not have a towel, a leso, nada! Just her green slippers. And she seemed happy. Free. Confident. Powerful. I envied her.

I won’t lie. At that moment I questioned my sexuality. Is this how ladies “become” lesbos? Why was I staring at another lady in wonder? Did she and big mama over at the corner have beautiful bodies? Absolutely. They were so different yet the same…it amazed me! haha!

Fast forward to present day and in this other gym I joined that is closer to home, I see the same thing, but now it’s different. You see, I am not shocked anymore by the naked bodies in the changing rooms. I don’t necessarily stare, though I still look in appreciation to the stories these bodies tell. There’s a mum-love handles, stretch marks and all, a college chic trying to get that bigger butt, the athlete who looks like a lean mean machine, the skinny girl we are still trying to figure out, because why is she in there struggling with the rest of us instead of being buried under burgers and fries if really all she wants is to gain a lil bit of weight? SIGH. We all have our reasons why we are there. All of us are running our different races, and all of them are valid. So I am no longer bothered by the naked bodies that surround me anymore. I look on, in my leso wrapped around my waist. Slowly but surely, it will drop… 🙂

Love. Live. Learn.

Mwalimu Rachel

#MRX.