Growing up in a Finnish Community

Growing up a Finnish Community

I grew up in a Finnish speaking area in Northern Minnesota on a dairy farm.  I was the youngest  of 7 children and the only boy.  It really isn’t so bad having 6 older sisters.  They look out for you.  When I was very young I remember my mother bathing me.  I recall it as a pleasant experience and certainly not erotic.  As I grew older my mother, with 7 children, was pretty busy so my oldest sister would bathe me.  When she did it, it was much like my mother except she would take more time cleaning my genitals.  She always seemed to enjoy it because she wouldn’t stop until I grew an erection.  When she went off to college my younger sister bathed me and they washed my genitals also.  I came to think it was a normal part of being bathed.  As I grew older my sisters continued to bathe me and I continued to think this was normal behavior.

We also had in our area, as in common in Finnish communities, a sauna.  As is also customary, the entire family would take a sauna together.  When we did my mother and my sisters would wear suits but the men would be naked. 

Now we had on our property a small pond where in the summer time we would go swimming.  My sister always wore suits and I, comfortable with being nude with them, wore nothing.  Sometime we had neighbor children swimming with us.  As was common in our community the girls wore suits and the boys went naked.

My mother was a scrupulous housekeeper as were all the other farm wives in the area.  They absolutely would not allow manure on shoes or barn smells in the house.  When anyone came home from milking the cows or working in the fields, they would have to strip naked before coming into the house.  We had to take lunch on the porch, even in the winter.  When we were done for the day before we were allowed in the house we had to strip naked and then come in to be washed.  This was not only true for the men but for the girls as well.  She wouldn’t even allow us to wash ourselves.  The protocol was that the females would wash each other first and then they would wash the men.  This double standard seemed perfectly normal to me.

Nor was there exceptions for guests.  If you were helping on the farm you had to strip naked and let one of my sisters or their wife wash you.  This was not only the practice at our farm but every other farm in the area.

When I was young before I could drive, my parent would always be busy on the farm so one of my sisters would always take me to the doctor.  Since my mother wanted to know what the doctor found my sister was always under instructions to sit in on the examination.  Since I had a lady doctor this did not present a problem.  When I was examined by the doctor I often was naked in the presence of the doctor, her nurse and my sister.  I did not think this was unusual. 

Once a city girl from the southern part of Minnesota came in to our elementary school.  She discovered early that Finnish farm boys were not modest.  When she asked me to show her my male body parts I let her and thought nothing of it.  My teacher found out about it and told the principal.  A nurse was called and I had to undress in front of the principal, my teacher and the nurse in order to check if there were any marks from being abused.  I did not like this but I had to obey them.  When they could not find anything the case was forgotten. The girl did not get into trouble.

When I got to high school I went out for sports and I had to have a sports physical.  I was out sick when the doctor came to do the physicals so I had to have the school nurse do it.  When she did it she insisted that she have a chaperone so my home room teacher, Miss Purhonen, was used.  For some reason. the nurse had me naked for the entire examination.  Furthermore, during the course of the examination one of my fellow students, Susan Paaso, knocked on the door to give her a message.  The nurse said. “Come in.”  When she came in her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she saw me there standing naked in front of two women. During the examination the school principal, Mrs. Loxinen, also came to see the nurse.  While I was standing there naked as a jaybird, they had a long conversation as though I was not even there.  Even though I was used to being naked in front of women I had never been the object of an examination like this.  I found it stimulating.  It was also commonplace for female teachers to walk into the boys’ dressing room looking for the male teacher.  No one ever paid any attention.

We had a swimming pool at my high school.  It was common throughout Minnesota at that time that the boys would swim naked and the girls wear suits, However, the boys and girls did not take swimming together.  At our school the boys and girls swam together.  The girls wore suits and the boys went naked.

We were required to take sex education.  One day a sex education class was held during swimming.  The course was taught by Mrs. Torvinen, the health teacher. The boys lined up and the girls inspected the boys while the teacher taught them the respective parts of male genitals.It seemed silly to me; all of the girls were well familiar with male genitals. I do not understand to this day why, if the girls got to see boys naked why boys didn’t get to see girls naked.

One day I was called out of swim class into the locker room to see the assistant principal, Mrs. Palo.  I had to stand naked in in the locker room in front of her to be interrogated about a disciplinary matter where I was merely a witness.  The next day the same thing happened again in swim class only this time it was a lady cop and another female teacher.  It turns out that a teacher must be present any time a student is interrogated in school by the police.  Why did they have to interrogate me in swimming when I was nude.  Couldn’t they have waited for my next class.

Eventually I graduated from high school.  Shortly thereafter, I had to register for the draft and then I had to take a physical.  When I reported to the induction center I was met by Betty Paaso again.  As soon as she saw me she smiled and said, Hello, we meet again.”  She handed me a large bag and told me to go into the bathroom, undress completely and put all of my clothes in the bag, write my name on the bag and return it to her.  I said, “If I put all my clothes in the bag won’t I be naked when I bring you the bag.

She smiled and said, “Of course”  and then added, “But don’t worry I have seen lots of naked boys before and I am used to it.”  I thought, “Why should I care if you are used to it,” but I didn’t say anything.  I did as told and handed her the bag with my clothes in it completely naked.  She” looked me up and down, smiled to herself and told me to wait in the hall.  I did.  It was a public hall where people of both sexes walked back and forth to the bathroom.  As I stood there naked and feeling foolish the people who walked by would look at me and smirk. I found out later that everyone else was asked to strip to their shorts and wait in the same room.

 Eventually I was called in for my examination by a female medical assistant who weighed and measured me and then by a female doctor.  The female medical assistant stood and watched while I was examined by the doctor.  When the doctor was done with me I went and stood naked in front of the smiling Betty Paaso, to pick up my clothes. 

After that I got a job as an iron miner.  The job required a medical physical.  I reported to the doctor’s office for the physical.  After waiting in the outer office I was eventually seen by a nurse practitioner and her young assistant.  At the end of the physical the nurse practitioner said to me, “I have to check you for a hernia.”  I knew what that meant. 

By this time I was tired of being exhibited naked in front of women.  I said referring to the medical assistant, “Does she have to be here?” 

The nurse said, “Yes she does, it is our policy to have a chaperone whenever a male patient is naked.” 

I said, “What happens if I refuse?”

She said, “You won’t get the job?”  I dropped my pants.  She said, “Turn your head and cough.”  I did.

I went to the construction office where I met the company secretary.  After introducing myself she said, “Did you bring steel toe shoes?”

I said, “No.”

She said, “Are you wearing genital protection?”

I said, “Come again.”

She said, “The company requires that you wear protection for your genitals.  Are you wearing protection?

I said, “No.”

She said, “That is OK, I will provide you protection but you will have to pay us back out of your first month’s pay.  You will also have to pay for your work clothes.  However, the company will wash them for you daily.”

I said, “OK.”

She said, “Let’s start with the shoes.  What is your shoe size?”

I told her and she fit me with steel toe shoes. 

She said, “I need to fit you with genital protection.  Please take off your pants and underwear.”

I said, “Right here?”

She said, “This is as good as anywhere.  Don’t worry about being naked in front of me.  I am used to it.”  Like I should care how she feels about it.  I dropped my pants and underwear, standing naked below the waist in front of her.  She said, “I have to measure you.”  She approached me, took her hand, cupped my testicles and went and got a plastic cup and a jock strap.  I put them on.  I have to give her credit.  They fit perfectly.

The job of an iron miner is dirty but the company provides showers.  They also provide girls to wash their clothes.  Before I took my shower a girl came in to take my clothing to wash.  She said, “Don’t mind me.  I’ve seen hundreds of naked men before.”  Like I should care how many naked mem she has seen before.  Why is my nudity always about how they feel?  I did what was expected and undressed in front of her as she stood and watched me.