A year on Mernetwork: joy and pain

[Mermaid Adriel]

Hi everymer,
It seems yesterday, but today is an year since I've joined this fantastic forum, and it is the time to vent my feelings, both positive and negative.
-Unlickily, I am due to stay away from here because of my envy about who own a silicone tail: seeing their happy faces made me upset and dissatisfied, and this caused many nightmares in which someone discriminated me because "I had no a realistic tail". Luckily these thoughts are diminishing, even because I'm making my own silicone tail: I'm really excited about it, but I'm still unhappy because I've the big fear of being not able to continue this project because of my economical conditions (yes, I'm pretty poor...)
-On the other hand, I feel very well: being here is a sort of "care" for my depression, I've met, and I'm meeting, a lot of wonderful people who I feel being part of my mer-family :) Not less important, I had a great inspiration to start my journey to mermaiding!

I love you all <3

Claudia

[Mermaid Galene]

Claudia, please don't feel pressured to get a silicone tail. There are many absolutely gorgeous fabric, neoprene, and sequined tails out there. Lots of people on MerNetwork get excited about those, too!

[Mermaid Adriel]

@Galene I know, but it seems that silicone tails are the most desired, even if you don't need them to be "pro".

[Mermaid Wesley]

Sure they're the most desired, but I'll tell you right now that the silicone-tailed mers at the pacific coast mer fest were jealous of my easy to carry, easy to get on and off fabric tail. Super jealous. Also I got a ton of complements for the scales I hand painted on it. As long as you put effort and love into it, it's gonna be great. Now if you really want silicone, go for it. Take your time. There's no rush.

[Mermaid Galene]

Yep, all that really matters is what YOU desire. It doesn't matter one minnow what other people want.

[Mermaid Adriel]

Thank you both. Regardless of other mers, I've always wanted a realistic tail, and I know that making this requires time. I have no rush, I'd just want to share my excitement with others.

[Mermaid Wesley]

We'll wait :) and you'll have a great tail by the end of this.

[Mermaid Adriel]

I hope so :D

[Mermaid Kassandra]

My lovely mer sister!!!!!
I know exactly how you feel!
But don't worry I'm with you and soon we will do it ;)
Also I have some news for you that will make you very happy just give me a little time to get ready :)

[Lostariel Telrunya]

Kassandra:
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3dagsiUHN1qapy9o.gif

[Mermaid Adriel]

Thank you very much Kassandra <3 I'm sure that both we will make our dreams true!
And I can't wait to know! *excited*

[Mermaid Isabel]

Hi everymer,
It seems yesterday, but today is an year since I've joined this fantastic forum, and it is the time to vent my feelings, both positive and negative.
-Unlickily, I am due to stay away from here because of my envy about who own a silicone tail: seeing their happy faces made me upset and dissatisfied, and this caused many nightmares in which someone discriminated me because "I had no a realistic tail". Luckily these thoughts are diminishing, even because I'm making my own silicone tail: I'm really excited about it, but I'm still unhappy because I've the big fear of being not able to continue this project because of my economical conditions (yes, I'm pretty poor...)
-On the other hand, I feel very well: being here is a sort of "care" for my depression, I've met, and I'm meeting, a lot of wonderful people who I feel being part of my mer-family :) Not less important, I had a great inspiration to start my journey to mermaiding!

I love you all <3

Claudia
OH PLEASE DON'T BE SAD!!!! I'm here since 2013 and got interested to mermaiding 2 years ago! But i don't even have a fabric tail nor a monofin :(

[Mermaid Kassandra]

I worked really hard in those days in a collaboration with a friend of mine to make a tail that looks really really similar to the silicone ones but is made with elasticized velvet.
It really looks amazing, it can have everything you wish on as fins with any shape you like, dorsal and everything you can dream really!
And believe me it really looks extremely similar to the silicone ones!
Oh and the fluke is made of silicone :D
Tomorrow we will test it in the sea and we will see what happens.
If everything goes well we'll start selling them and the price won't be so unreasonable so that lots af people can have their dream tail even if they don't have enough money to buy an expensive silicone one :)
Videos and pictures coming soon on my FB page "La sirena Kassandra" and soon my new tailmaker will come here on Mernetwork to show his work, ideas and our collaboration.
I assure you that we have lots of new ideas for tail making that you can't even expect ;)

[Mermaid Adriel]

Really? *w* This means that you will finally have a tail, right?
So excited for it! i can't wait to see these works! :D

[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

You are lucky to have a fabric tail. I have No tail. LOL I would be glad just to get a monofin sans tail, at the moment...it's just not possible. I really want a mernation fabric tail, they are SO pretty, but I gotta wait...and thats okay. If you work for it, you can achieve anything!

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Ok we did it! :D
The tail holds up better than what me and Merman Alexander though, but it was an experiment so it still has some flaws :(
Sorry I wish that it was perfect enough to be sold but we still need time to make corrections and change some things....

Anyway we have a new line of tails made of different kind of materials and ha painted with colors that will NEVER go away just check out my FB page to see my tail or contact me by mail for other information about the tails we make ;)

I'm so happy about this new collaboration with my friend Merman Alexander :D

Yes my lovely mer sister now I have a tail but we have to work on it because not everything went as we wanted so that kind of tail isn't ready to be sell (it was the very first tail we made in that way), anyway we have more to come I'll keep my FB page updated with pictures and videos for further developments just anyone interested keep an eye on it ;)

[Mermaid Adriel]

@Kassandra You know I've seen the tail on photos and video and you were right when you said it was amazing! *.* Alex is a very talented boy!
I really hope problems will be fixed soon.
PS: I have to admit I'm a little envious because my parents don't let me go swimming in a tail if I don't take swimming lessons, so I need again to wait another year -.-'

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Well my mer sister I have to say that they're right its for your safety I would do the same thing if you were my daughter.
First of all safety this is also the first thing that in a diving class they teach you.

Yes I agree with you Alex is truly amazing doing things like those :D
Anyway don't worry maybe you can take your first swim as a mermaid with us I'll take a lot of pictures for you :D

[Mermaid Adriel]

I know it's for my safety, I really hope to learn swimming next months.
I'm sure we will meet next year and will swim together! I can't wait :D

[Mermaid Adriel]

I need to vent. Again.
How can I accept the fact that I can't swim this summer? I've hardly accepted that I couldn't compleye my silicone tail in time, now I've had this other delusion... I feel bad.

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Don't worry! Never give up mer sister you're really close to your dream!
I'm with you!

[Mermaid Adriel]

Thanks for your support my mersister <3 and sorry again for my envy...
But I feel better these days :)
Giving up? NEVER! I feel very certain right now ;)

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Ok I want to see you in this way ;)

[Yulia]

I need to vent. Again.
How can I accept the fact that I can't swim this summer? I've hardly accepted that I couldn't compleye my silicone tail in time, now I've had this other delusion... I feel bad.
I totally get what you're saying.
I could've saved so much money, maybe enough to order a silicone tail, or at least to get something to swim in this summer.
Now, since all that's (not) happened, I have nothing and will have to wait a year to swim outside again, and even longer to get a silicone tail.
Argh, I'm so frustrated.

[Mermaid Adriel]

:hug:

[Mermaid Adriel]

Well, I hoped to not write on this thread anymore, but I've another problem right now: I always think of mermaids. ALWAYS. And there's nothing I can do for distracting myself. I'm neglecting the study and other important things, I'm also spending my days sleeping, but in vain, 'cause I dream of mermaids. Yesterday my mum said to me "It's a sunny day, why don't you go to the beach?", maybe I could distract myself, but i think it would make me feel worse, because looking at the sea makes me think about the fact that I have not tried to swim in a tail yet. Yes, this is another obsession: I felt bad to not have a silicone tail, now it's because I have TWO fabric tails and never had a swim. It makes no sense...
I don't know what to do, I need to think to my responsibilities.

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Don't worry! As I said before I totally understand you but don't worry everything will be fine after you'll swim at our meet up ;)
Just few more days!

[Mermaid Adriel]

I know,I only hope the weather will be good or will be a pool in case of bad weather.

[Mermaid Kassandra]

You really don't need to worry everything will be perfect ;)

[Mermaid Adriel]

I really hope xD
Let's think in positive!

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Yes! :D

[Mermaid Adriel]

Well, I'm thinking a lot these days, and somethimes I seriously think of giving up. Why?
-I can't swim, and I've not enough money for lessons
-My dad thinks mermaiding is stupid
-I think only of mermaids
-I'm extremely envious and jealous of the other mers and this is making me upset and depressed

What can I do? A part of me wants to close forever with my dream, but another part says that I must wait, because one day it will come true (ok, but WHEN?)
Sorry for this other vent...

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Don't worry it's ok I think almost every mermaid here had this kind of feeling before realizing their dream ;)
You just have to wait until you can do everything you dream of.
It took me three years and you think it's a little time? Just consider that you're building your own silicone tail only after one year!
I would have kill for doing it after one year!
In your not already being a mermaid (even if I can assure you already are a mermaid ;) ) you're lucky ;)
Just try to see what you're doing and not what you still need to do and you'll discover that after all you're halfway to your dream ;)

And remember that without dreams we're exactly like the others, but here on this forum we're all special people, people that can turn dreams in reality just believing in them by themselves.

Love you mersister <3 and don't worry you'll get it ;)

[Mermaid Adriel]

Just try to see what you're doing and not what you still need to do and you'll discover that after all you're halfway to your dream ;)

That's what my mum always says to me. In less than an year, I got two tails, started a silicone one and posed for a photoshoot. Maybe it's not so little. And if weather is ok, I'll take my first swim this month. And now me and my family are considering about how to do with swimming lessons, so that next year I can finally work as a mermaid. I've only the fear that everything will go wrong...

[Mermaid Kassandra]

You see? Just nearly halfway ;)

[Seatan]

Well, I hoped to not write on this thread anymore, but I've another problem right now: I always think of mermaids. ALWAYS. And there's nothing I can do for distracting myself. I'm neglecting the study and other important things, I'm also spending my days sleeping, but in vain, 'cause I dream of mermaids. Yesterday my mum said to me "It's a sunny day, why don't you go to the beach?", maybe I could distract myself, but i think it would make me feel worse, because looking at the sea makes me think about the fact that I have not tried to swim in a tail yet. Yes, this is another obsession: I felt bad to not have a silicone tail, now it's because I have TWO fabric tails and never had a swim. It makes no sense...
I don't know what to do, I need to think to my responsibilities.

Think carefully about how you feel and decide if it is natural or if it is truly obsession. I am bipolar and not all mania comes off as "OMG I'm so happy/exhilarated, let's do crazy stuff!" Mine comes off as obsession. I get obsessed with something and it is all that I can think of. The subject itself starts to be depressing because I can think of nothing else. Other things get neglected and I spend huge amounts of time and money on whatever my obsession in. This is NOT healthy in any way. Not saying that this is how you are, but you might want to take a moment to consider. It is NOT normal to have one single thing on your brain that will not leave you alone, to the neglect of everything else. There is something wrong with that, and it may be chemical, like it is with me. If I do not take mood stabilizers, I get hooked on things, and it is NO FUN. It's one thing to be a little envious and feel a little down that you don't have a silicone tail... but if you are mentally incapable of thinking about anything else, I suggest you consider talking to someone.

Again, not saying that this is necessarily what has happened to you, but I do see it happen in a lot of people and most of the time they don't realize that anything is wrong because they think those feelings are normal... But they are not. Trust me, I am so much happier on medication, without the obsessions, than I EVER was with the obsessions. Your mind can relax and you can enjoy life.

[Mermaid Adriel]

The envy is eating me. I'm not eating/sleeping anymore, and all my relatives are worried about me. My parents prefer to spend the money for a better therapist rather than for the meetup.
So, my mum has just said to me to not go to the mer-meetup on 28th, because of my envy for the fact that I can't swim (what a shame!). She's right, but I don't wanna feel excluse for this. I really don't know what to do...

[Mermaid Kassandra]

If the problem is just the fact that you can't swim just take lessons and then it's done ;)

[Mermaid Adriel]

I know, but I can't do it for the meetup xD However yes, my parents promised me I'll take lessons this autumn/winter, so it's ok.

[Mermaid Kassandra]

I know but we discussed about the met up months ago and it was expected to be next year just to respect the needs of all, you know it was organized without speaking to anyone so not my or yours fault it happened and we could do nothing to avoid it.

[Mermaid Adriel]

I know, but never mind. However, I'm sure it will be a great day for everyone of us :)

[Lucinda]

Well, I hoped to not write on this thread anymore, but I've another problem right now: I always think of mermaids. ALWAYS. And there's nothing I can do for distracting myself. I'm neglecting the study and other important things...

From one mermaid to another, I really wish I could offer you any helpful advice, Adriel.
But I do know what it means to be caught up in an obsession. My major obsession at the moment is my master's thesis which seems like a never-ending chore. Quite often, working on it feels like two steps forward and one step backward. But when I'm not working on it, it' also hard to enjoy other activities, especially not if I feel like I haven't actually been making any progress lately. I've been putting off doing a lot of other things because of my thesis (wisdom tooth removal, going to an indoor waterpark with a friend, watching Pirates of the Caribbean 4 etc.) just beacuse I don't feel like I'd be able to engage myself in these other things before I have finished the thesis. Yet every time I work on it, I get disappointed in myself cause it's not finished yet and cause I don't know exactly when it will be.

[Mermaid Adriel]

From one mermaid to another, I really wish I could offer you any helpful advice, Adriel.
But I do know what it means to be caught up in an obsession. My major obsession at the moment is my master's thesis which seems like a never-ending chore. Quite often, working on it feels like two steps forward and one step backward. But when I'm not working on it, it' also hard to enjoy other activities, especially not if I feel like I haven't actually been making any progress lately. I've been putting off doing a lot of other things because of my thesis (wisdom tooth removal, going to an indoor waterpark with a friend, watching Pirates of the Caribbean 4 etc.) just beacuse I don't feel like I'd be able to engage myself in these other things before I have finished the thesis. Yet every time I work on it, I get disappointed in myself cause it's not finished yet and cause I don't know exactly when it will be.


I can understand you :( It's so difficult thinking other things...