Mermaid Pink Eye

Yes, that's about as gross as it sounds. This mermaid got pink eye from one of the pools here. Sadly, poor Mermaid Nikki is having some eye problems too, although her's isn't pink eye, just irritated. So I may not go to that pool a second time. I intend on writing an email to their people because I know it was from the pool. I didn't have any other outside contact that day with it. So voila! This MerQueen looks less fishy, and a little more sick-y. (Okay, that was a terrible rhyme, I know. Perhaps pink eye messes with your brain too?)

But that leads me into a brief little anecdote. And for other mermaids that read this, please feel free to use this story as your own. I do wear goggles and a nose clip while practicing. Sometimes I wear ear plugs, but not often as I find them extremely uncomfortable. Since I swim for 6+ hours a week (3x a week, 2 hours each time usually) I have found it necessary to protect my eyes every time I swim. I also have to wear contact lenses. I'm practically blind without them. The only time I go goggle-less is if I'm doing some parties, or a major event. Otherwise, I figure it's better safe than sorry. (Oh, and I went mostly goggle-less yesterday, and look at the present I got!) Anyway, I digress. So kids often ask me, "If you're a real mermaid, why do you wear goggles?" And I have found a story that works well for explaining why. I tell kids that it's important that I wear goggles because mermaids have special eyes, and in order to see in the ocean, we have a special film over our eyes that allows us to see clearly. Since the swimming pools here have chlorine in them, I wear goggles to protect that film, because the chemical eats it away. And that's how you can tell a real mermaid, from a girl in a costume. (I usually ask the kids if they can open their eyes underwater in the pool and if its okay, and usually they say yes.) A real mermaid will either swim with her eyes closed in a pool, or wear goggles to protect her special eyes. A girl in costume, doesn't have to. And this story has worked with every kid I have come in contact with. At other events where I'm goggle-less, I obviously don't tell them this story. And of course if there is a second encounter with the same child and I'm goggle-less there is always the magic excuse. 

I wanted to blog about this to remind people that wearing goggles in public pools is not just so you can see,  but it's also a safety issue. Occasionally going without is okay, however your eyes aren't worth the risk. Especially in germ-filled public pools. You only have one set of eyes and I believe that they aren't worth risking.