The Fremont parade has always been one of the highlights of
my summer and a great way to kick off the summer solstice. (Though it still
usually includes overcast skies and rain...come on we’re still from Washington you
know!) This year was my third time attending the parade, however, this year I
participated in a different fashion. Every year the parade starts off with mass
of beautifully painted individuals riding their bicycles excitedly through the
streets. Some are part of a larger group
ensemble such as the Batman series (Batman, Joker, Robing, etc.) or The
Avengers, while others choose to pain themselves as individual creations.
Whatever a person decides to go as, each individual adds a special flavor to
the overall radiance that the parade displays. After watching in awe these past
two years, I finally decided this year would be my year; I would be a
bicyclist! 
Typically, when people first hear about the Fremont
bicyclist they react with shock. “Why would anybody want to ride around the
streets naked,” they inquire? Time and time again, people who have not
experienced the parade first hand already have preconceived notions and
opinions on a situation they do not fully comprehend. Well let me divulge my
opinion on the parade, now both as an observer and a participant. 
Yes, the Fremont bicyclists do ride naked, but if you focus
solely on that nominal notion, you are missing the entire point of the ride.
For me, the ride signifies something we could all do with a little more of –
acceptance. Never before have I stood in
a place surrounded by so many strangers and felt so comfortable in my own skin.
The bicyclists are one of the most genuine, accepting groups I have found. They
do not discriminate against the individual. Regardless of your shape, size,
ethnicity, or gender all are welcomed one and the same. I stood their naked,
surrounded by a room packed full of other naked people, and yet it was not in
the least bit unsettling. Actually, it was quite the opposite. To reveal yourself
in such a manner is highly liberating. For the first time I was able to bare
myself to the world and say, “Look, this is who I am.” I am imperfect. I am
human. I have flaws. Yet despite all my imperfections I can still stand here
proudly and show that I have pride and love for myself.
How often in today’s world can people look in the mirror and
find beauty within themselves? That’s right, not very often. We are governed by
media and society on who we should be, how we should look, and the ways in
which we should conduct ourselves. We constantly tell ourselves we should not
accept societies’ conception of beauty, yet we’re always beating ourselves up
over this idealized, unrealistic self-image. Who really defines beauty in the
first place?
When you can find
beauty in yourself, you show that beauty to the world. When you can learn to
accept and love yourself, you more readily accept and love others. To change
your conception of beauty is a wonderful thing. We are all beings sharing this
world in which we live. I like to think the human race is comprised of
imperfect perfections. We are all different, but our differences are what make
us who we are. We are more beautiful because of our differences, not our
similarities. To compare ones self to another is in essence to disregard the
glorious characteristics that make each of us special. We all have something
unique to offer up that no other person on this planet has to offer, so why not
embrace completely who you are and spend your life loving yourself, rather than
picking yourself apart for the things that really are what make you special.
The Fremont parade, and especially the bicyclists, helps
solidify these ideas in me. I found more
open love and acceptance in a room full of naked people than I’ve ever found in
a room full of clothed ones. The Fremont parade to me signifies love,
acceptance, and the purist forms of joy, all which should be experienced
through a loving relationship with yourself, others, and the world around you.
If we could all celebrate what makes us different and embrace our bodies in the
way the bicyclists showed me, I think our world, and our expectations of
ourselves would all benefit immensely in the end.
To see a video of the bicyclist check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3zDT6nzKN4
Also, if you're interested in more solstice pics check out Matthew's site at: http://www.mcsheehy.com/People/Fremont-Summer-Solstice-Parade/23621485_mpFfvn#!i=1911317538&k=Sgtt8xP
