August 22nd was approaching rapidly. The group of five couples had been planning the camping trip all summer. Bobby had found a seven-acre campsite completely isolated from everything. It was primitive, without facilities of any kind. No electricity, no cell service and no water, so no bathrooms and no showers. There was a stream running through the property and a medium sized, private lake. The site was populated with large trees and had a large clearing perfect for tents and canopies that they would have to carry in themselves.
They could park their cars about a quarter of a mile away and walk the rest of the way. It was an easy walk, on flat ground, so hauling in everything needed for the ten-day bivouac wouldn't be unnecessarily difficult although multiple trips would be necessary. Bathing in the stream or lake was permitted but drinking the water was not recommended. They would have to bring water for drinking and cooking. If necessary, someone could drive the fourteen miles to the nearest general store to refill water containers and purchase other necessities.
You might wonder why anyone, let alone ten pampered twenty-somethings, would choose to spend vacation time in such a grim environment. You'd have to go back to last spring, when several members of the group began to wonder if the comfortable lives they were enjoying were actually nourishing their souls as well as their bodies. The consensus of the group was that, unless they could remove all vestiges of the lives they led they couldn't answer the question satisfactorily. So Bobby, with help from his wife Annette, began to research the possibilities. When he found the isolated campground on a camping web site that offered complete isolation and guaranteed privacy, he set about convincing the rest of the group it was the perfect place to abandon their civilized lives, push their limits and discover their inner strengths. It wasn't difficult. They chose the week before Labor Day and Bobby reserved the site.
They packed their cars with everything they thought they'd need and met at Darlene and Dennis' house on Friday evening. Carol, Lonnie, Cheryl and Tommy arrived together in Lonnie's van. Nancy and Johnny came in their pick up truck and Bobby brought Annette in his SUV. Between the van, pickup truck and two SUV's they were able to fit everything they'd need for a ten day stay in the wilderness.
Once packed, they gathered in Darlene and Dennis' great room for a last evening of alcoholic entertainment before their adventure. On the way to bed, Bobby collected everyone's cell phones, telling them he'd return them when they returned in ten days.
They left at six in the morning for the four-hour drive into the mountains. They arrived at the parking area just before eleven after two comfort breaks and a brief stop at the general store for last minute supplies. The path from the car park to the campsite was marked with a wooden sign nailed to a tree that had the single word "Solitude."
Everyone pitched in, carrying things to the clearing from the cars. By early afternoon, they had a reasonable campsite. There was a very large tent that Carol, Lonnie, Cheryl and Tommy had agreed to share and three other tents, large enough to stand in, for the other couples. Dennis supplied a large canopy for use as a kitchen and dining area and Lonnie brought two small folding tables with bench seats as work and dining tables. There were two propane camp stoves, several propane lanterns and a half dozen flashlights. Included were ten canvas camp chairs for general use and a dozen books, mostly novels for entertainment.
Tommy brought his digital camera, but left it in the car after the rest of the group agreed it violated the spirit of the adventure. However, Darlene's sketchpad, colored pencils and pastels were approved by all. All the food supplies were dried or dehydrated since fresh foods without refrigeration were inappropriate. The food was left in a locked car since no one was sure about the nature of the wildlife and didn't want to attract unwanted guests.
Bobby used a small camp shovel to dig a trench behind a nearby large rock for use as a latrine. They all agreed that, while the stream and lake were inviting, they shouldn't use them for sanitary purposes. The shovel was left near the rock for use to cover waste and dig further as necessary.
They settled in, moving things around for convenience or comfort and shared a pot of reconstituted stew for dinner. The stew tasted better than anyone anticipated and expectations for the success of their ten-day isolation grew. After cleaning up after dinner, the group sat in a circle in the center of the clearing and began discussing the purpose of their backwoods adventure.
After a few minutes, Annette, Annie to her friends, spoke up.
"I've been thinking a lot about this trip since we first began to plan. Why are we all here? We all make significant money working. We live in nice houses in nice neighborhoods. We can afford almost anything we want, new clothes, new cars, new toys. We can vacation in comfort, even luxury, anywhere in the world we want, so why are we here?
"Like I said, I've been thinking a lot. I can only speak for myself but maybe you all will find some similarities. I've been wondering whose life am I living? I've been trained since birth that some things are normal and acceptable and some things are not. For simplicity, I've labeled them 'rules' and they're defined by my family, my community, my church, my town and my country. I've been taught what is right and what is wrong. The rules are active in everything I do or say. Some things are politically incorrect so I don't say or do them even if I don't agree with them. A simple example, I can burp if the situation is right and I excuse myself but farting is never allowed."
The group laughed at her example but they remained focused on what she was saying. Annie continued, "I sleep the appropriate number of hours. I get up, shower, dress appropriately, eat breakfast and go to work. After work I come home, change my clothes, prepare dinner and spend a few quality hours with Bobby. I go to bed at a reasonable hour, make love, having sex is an inappropriate term, and go to sleep so I can do it all again the next day.
"Is this the life I would choose for myself? If I didn't have the familial and social boundaries how would I live my life? I think I have the opportunity, here, now, to discover a little of that other life. So here I am. How do I start? Do I reject all the rules and just forge ahead? I don't think so. Some of the rules make sense for survival. Do I toss the rest of the rules? No. I need to treat others with respect since that's who I am and it feels right. I think I just need to modify some rules, eliminate others and add some new ones.
"Which ones? I don't know until I come up against one and it doesn't make me feel good, make me a better person or I find a void and need to fill it. Another example: We are told how to dress for every occasion. For me, as a woman, I need to wear a dress or skirt for many occasions when slacks would be more comfortable. I am taught when I need to wear heels even if they hurt my feet. And bras. They're uncomfortable. They bind across my chest and back. I get a rash from the latex. . Who the hell invented bras anyway? Some man who couldn't control his urges so he had to cover his woman or some woman who was uncomfortable with her boobs bouncing when she walked or ran? It doesn't make any difference.
"I know that in the world we left this morning, bras are required for most environments but here I can discard that rule completely if I choose. And I do choose. I don't like bras. They don't fit the person I would be if I didn't have the pressure to conform. So the bra has to go."
Annie pulled off her tee shirt and tossed it on the ground behind her. She reached behind her back, unhooked her bra, removed it and tossed it next to her shirt. She lifted her breasts with both hands to loosen them up and air them out a little and sat back in her chair. "There, that feels wonderful," she said.
Some members of the group were a little stunned but not Darlene. Darlene immediately pulled off her tee shirt and bra. She stood up, carried them over to Annie and tossed them on top of Annie's shirt and bra. She then stood in front of Bobby and asked, "Would you mind changing seats with me? I'd like to sit next to Annie."
Bobby got up and Darlene sat down. As she did so, Karen was walking across the circle with her shirt and bra in her hand. She tossed them on the growing pile of clothing and asked Tommy if she could have his seat. The three topless women sat together holding hands while the rest of the group recovered.
Tommy was the first to say something. "I get what you're saying and I think I agree with it in principle. I hate neckties and, if I was wearing one right now, I'd gladly take it off and add it to your collection of clothing. But not all the rules are individual decisions. Some are between just two people and the other person needs to be part of any decision to change it. For example, I hate brief underwear. Like Annie and her bra, I refuse to wear briefs. I can get away with it in the world outside since no one knows I'm wearing boxers. However, if I were wearing briefs and chose this moment to add them to your discarded clothing, should I do it without consulting Cheryl?"
"Let me respond to that," said Karen. "Your concern is valid unless you accept that all the rules are on the table, even those imposed by families. Lonnie might be concerned about my sitting here half-naked in front of you all but I believe he understands this week is about self-discovery and maybe I didn't just toss out the bra rule, maybe I also tossed out the restrictions that make the rule possible. I didn't do it to embarrass Lonnie or hurt his feelings. I did it to learn more about myself and I really believe Lonnie knows that and we both benefit from that learning. If you were to stand up and remove your tighty-whities and put them on the pile would Cheryl cheer you on or would she be embarrassed for you or her?"
Cheryl said, "I've got it. Self-discovery is just that. There's no intent to include anyone else directly or indirectly. If Tommy stripped of his pants and felt better about it, then I'm all in."
Johnny spoke up next. "I get what you all are saying but I still can't get my head around that Annie is sitting across from me with her boobs exposed. It doesn't seem real to me. I guess I need to redefine what is real here and now."
"Exactly," said Annie. "Would you like to feel them to see if they're real?"
"Hold on a minute," said Nancy. I don't have a problem with Johnny testing reality but I think we all need to be on the same page. Does everyone understand the alternate reality Annie is suggesting? Do we all agree that for the next ten days we are all free of whatever restrictive social and moral rules that prevent us from understanding ourselves and we are free to explore a new set of social and moral rules that apply only to this time and place? That everything we say and do for the next ten days benefits ourselves, our partners and the group in general?"
Nancy then asked each member of the group if they understood and agreed with the new reality. Everyone agreed. Only Johnny hesitated. Nancy looked directly at him and said, "Darling, we're not suggesting that free will equates to immorality. Free will equally applies to not doing things that don't agree with you as well as doing those that do."
"I've got it and I agree. I just need a moment to clear my thinking of those outside rules."
Johnny stood up and approached Annie. "Were you serious?" he asked.
"I was," responded Annie.
"And we're all of one mind?" he asked again.
He looked around. Everyone was smiling and some were nodding. He reached out both hands and gently cupped Annie's breasts. He held them briefly and then let them go. "I really like this new reality," he said. "I think I've grown from this experience. Thank you Annie."
Everyone laughed and applauded. No one missed the bulge in his trousers.
Soon afterward, everyone retired to their tents except Bobby. He moved his chair over near the table and sat with his feet up on the bench seat. He'd been sitting there for some time, looking at the incredible sky full of stars through the space above the clearing, when Karen came out of her tent, still topless but now wearing only her panties. She walked across the clearing and behind the large rock. When she came back she was completely naked, holding her panties in her hand.
She startled when she saw Bobby. She didn't try to cover herself as she said, "I didn't see you. Why are you sitting there?"
"Just contemplating the enormity of the universe. Why are you standing there?"
"I had to pee. In the process my panties got wet and I didn't want to put them back on."
Bobby got up, picked up another chair and put it next to his. "Come sit down and talk if you want to," he suggested.
Karen sat down next to Bobby and put her feet up on the bench as well. "Tell me more about contemplating the universe."
"Look at the sky. Have you ever seen more stars anywhere? I think of it as a metaphor for what we're missing in the other world. What we can see and learn here that we'd never see or learn there. We can't learn what we're not permitted to see."
As they sat there in silence, a shooting star passed through the space in front of the stars. Karen reached up and held Bobby's hand. They were sitting there when Cheryl came out of her tent, heading for the big rock. She was wearing the clothes she wore earlier. She stopped when she noticed Karen and Bobby sitting together. "Hey guys, anything I need to know about?"
