Becoming a Land Mermaid

I am captivated by the ocean, water and waves and can spend hours walking the shores, dipping my toes in the water, breathing the salty, moist air into my lungs and exhaling the stresses of everyday life.

Whether the sun is slowly warming my shoulders or the misty rains are chilling me deeper into my jacket, I do not care. I look out upon the sea, preferring when I can see one wave breaking onto another, onto another, and yet another, infinitely, like looking into a mirror that reflects upon itself so deep you cannot see the end.

Like a land mermaid, I will not swim far as I fear what lies beneath the surface and bumps against my skin. Irrational. Maybe its an inborn fear from my ancestors or a not-remembered childhood trauma of dipping below the surface unconscious. I fear the curse of the Ursula and the loss of my ability to return to the land, so I content myself with brief toe touches in the surf and even then the fish, cow rays, and shells brush against me and find me for their fun.

When I am not at the ocean, I easily forget the magical long exhale that slows my pace but whenever I return, the peace envelopes me like a warm hug from an old friend. I want to share it with everyone in my life and never leave its embrace.

First Visit to Sanibel

It doesn’t seem to be tied to a location: Sanibel, Southold, Savannah…. the sea is the sea is the sea and halos me with its mystical aura.