“I’m just trying to keep my head above water”…“I feel like all I’ve been doing is treading water, trying to stay afloat”…“I’m sinking fast”. All negative images. Water vs. man (woman). I’ve heard them all and more and I’ve said them all myself- maybe even to you. When did that happen? When did the water become the enemy…or something to conquer? Has it always been that way and my little girl imagination just didn’t get it? Is it a fear of the unknown? There are so many water movies that I found incredibly cool, yet a little scary. The Abyss comes to mind. Even the word “abyss” con notates danger. But that’s not really my focus here.
How about something a little more light hearted like say… The Little Mermaid? Sebastian sang in the catchy tune “Under The Sea”, The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake…words so true. Every girl that sang along with Ariel when she lamented wanting to be “part of that world” knows what I’m talking about when I speak of longing for something more than I already have and know. Sometimes the sacrifices to get what we long for are huge. Unlike Ariel, I would never give up my voice. I wouldn’t be me anymore. I related more to her daughter Melody in The Little Mermaid II. She pretended to have fins…and she didn’t know about her heritage. It was kept from her in the name of protection. Boy this could go deep…no pun intended.
I have seen no less than 4 movies in the last year that have to do with mermaids. Yes, I still cling to the mermaid fantasy. It’s not that I want to go live with the fishes, and it’s not that I want to escape and leave everything I know behind for a new life. As a child it was about escape. As an adult I know it’s that I want to be special, unique, mysterious, legendary. Mermaid movies resonate with me for many reasons:
- I know I was not meant to live in this world. I’m an alien here. (A mermaid)
- I’m so often misunderstood…Aren’t we all?
- I do long for greener seaweed, uh…grass.
- Sometimes I get lost and wander into waters that are dangerous for me…and I need rescuing or at least help getting back to where I belong.
- Sometimes I swim towards dangerous waters intentionally.
- I have faithful friends that will journey with me (like Flounder and Sebastian), but sometimes I choose to go it alone (like Madison in Splash)
- All of those movies are about one thing…relationships. And THAT is the meaning of life…relationships.
I guess I am living the mermaid life. But occasionally I still catch myself holding my breath until it burns.
Sometimes I Write 
Hurray! Something to comment on!
Four mermaid movies, eh? Aside from Splash and the Little Mermaid (and illegitimatize sequel), what was the last one? The only one that comes to mind is Aquamarine.
Why fear water? Maybe because being trapped in it causes asphixiation and death…just a thought. The seas are untamed, like high mountain peaks. Man fantasizes to know, understand, and tame the untamable. I think God put that in our hearts. It is an adventure.
Keep breathing, and always take a buddy. You’re never supposed to swim without a buddy. What do you think your children will learn? Besides, I figure Benny makes a great swimming partner ^_~
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Go live with the fishes… Sleep with the fishes. Whatever. I don’t want to be with the fishes, because that water is stinky! Out of the water, fishes smell bad.
I always feared drowning. I didn’t learn how to swim until I was 14, and I don’t like water on my face even now.
As a little girl, I thought the space under the water’s surface was air, not more water. Kinda like a layer of plastic wrap between me up here breathing and my legs down there being warm. I don’t know why, really, because I could see the water tumbling into the bathtub, and I knew it was there. Part of that mermaid fantasy, I suppose.
So now I watch my in-laws go Scuba diving… and I have to say that it is intriguing, but I don’t want to join them in it. I would much rather sky dive! Risk is an interesting thing. The hard landing if I fall holds nothing to the fear of drowning in a shallow pool that I could get out of if I just pushed up. Deep thoughts.
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Niki,
I’ve been reading. Just not commenting. Struggling through some things right now.
To answer your question Blogher is a network of women bloggers, many of whom are in my blogroll; Blogher has conferences, has ads that members can use in their blogs, and has linked some of their bloggers up with gigs in Good Housekeeping, etc. http://blogher.org for more info.
someday the play date – but I can’t commit until the chaos is resolved.
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