The New Pastime That Has Changed My Life

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“You should get one, Mom,” my daughter encouraged. I gravitated toward the 5-foot-long mermaid tails in the gift shop at Florida’s Weeki Wachee State Park. After watching the Netflix documentary series, MerPeople, my daughter chose this destination to celebrate achieving her master’s degree.

“No, I’m 60,” I reminded my daughter. “I’m too old for such a silly thing.”

The $135 price tag for an impulsive, whimsical water costume seemed ridiculous. But I continued feeling the silky material, drawn in by the rainbow design.

Memories of my younger self performing water ballet and synchronized swimming at the park district pool rushed back. With my orange-costumed swimsuit and matching decorative cap, I was proud to resemble a chorus girl in an Esther Williams movie.

My favorite trick was the back dolphin — arching backwards into the depths of the 15-foot diving well, scooping the water around me and pulling my body to make a complete circle back to the original position, floating on my back.

Now that I live in Florida with a backyard pool, I thought maybe it wouldn’t be so frivolous. As I pictured myself undulating through the water doing the butterfly stroke, powered by the multi-colored fluke, I knew I needed to buy the mermaid tail!

After giving birth to my third child in 1993, a local group of triathlon enthusiasts helped me regain my youthful shape by encouraging me to swim, bike and run with them. Gliding through the water, enduring a mile-long swim, put me into a swimmer’s high. Pull. Breathe. Glide. The rhythmic strokes, coupled with the meditative effect of the water, created a feeling of relaxed euphoria and well-being.

I longed for that feeling again.

After surgery on both knees and a herniated disk in my neck, my running and bike racing days have turned into 30-minute, low-impact elliptical workouts. I play with my grandkids in my pool, and occasionally swim “laps” from one end of the 20-foot pool to the other. Even so, I craved the physical ease of coasting through the water again.

Sitting on the steps of my pool, I secured my feet in the monofin foot pockets and shimmied the form-fitting skin up to my waist. The polyester and spandex gear glided on easier than I expected, and I was giddy with excitement about diving into the water.

Woosh. Then silence. The welcoming stillness of the world underwater. Rhythmically, my hips, knees and feet all began rippling simultaneously, propelling me effortlessly through the water. It was exhilarating.

Swimming with my tail made me feel weightless, graceful and powerful again. Gone was my discouragement that my body could no longer do the things I once enjoyed.

Research suggests that older adults with hobbies report being healthier, happier and having higher life satisfaction. I began looking forward to 5 p.m., not just so I could close my work laptop, but I could slip into my mermaid guise and feel the freedom of the water. Unfortunately, I also felt like a sea otter in a zoo tank that was too small. As soon as the mighty fin propelled me through two butterfly strokes, I’d be at the wall.

I needed a bigger pool. My park district pool had adult lap swim hours, and according to their website, “mermaid tail” was not on the prohibited swimwear list.

So I packed up my colorful monofin and began putting on my ensemble poolside, when the shrill of a whistle pierced my bliss.

“Ma’am, you can’t wear that in the pool,” a lifeguard yelled.

It turns out, restricting your legs with a mermaid sleeve is a safety hazard.

My quest to swim freely and magnificently in all my sea-maiden glory led me to mermaid diving classes near my home in Tampa.

Before I could flaunt my mermaid stuff in a larger pool, I had to learn safety skills like how to remove my scaly skin quickly in case of an emergency. I also learned fun tricks like dolphin kicks, U-shape side turns, bubble rings, mermaid kisses and somersaults.

My new hobby introduced me to a group of friends, who call themselves “merfolk”, and to activities like the MerMazing Adventure I went on in July. After chartering a boat to Egmont Key and visiting a historic lighthouse, I swam as a mermaid in the ocean, snorkeling with the fish like a real sea creature. It wasn’t a swimmer’s high, but it was peaceful and quiet, drowning out the noise of the world, and floating naturally through the water.

I’m happy I didn’t let my inhibitions get in the way of buying my glittery monofin. I don’t know how long I’ll embody my persona as a half woman, half fish, but for now, I feel like a kid again, excited about my new pastime, and showing off my new mermaid tail.

What pastime makes YOU feel like a kid again? Let us know in the comments below.