The selkie is a well-known myth of Scottish and Irish folklore. The seal woman lives in the depths of the ocean, but periodically emerges from the waters and drops her skin off. She is compelled to live on the land if the skin is stolen by a fisherman; in this case, she will be a good and faithful wife to him, bearing many children and plenty of fish in his net. The call of her native place is always strong, though, and once she discovers her stolen skin, she will quickly return to the sea to whom she belongs.
A legend with a hint of truth... How many wives regret their maiden life, full of mischievous playing and joyful lightheartedness? A life without worries and commitments, with the possibility to do what one likes at one's own time and pace. The ocean is a metaphor for freedom and opportunities, an endless water expanse where to discover and give one's best self.
Ondines, mermaids, selkies: I've always felt very close to these mythological creatures, not only because I'm a strong swimmer.
In the water, I feel at ease in assessing my choices of life, analysing my problems, and sometimes finding a solution.
The water is a comfy place, a safe spot where to taste once more the sweetness of my good memories while the sourness of bad experiences is blurred and diluted in the rhythm of the strokes.
For lacking of best words I'll share the lines of the famous Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi:
Così tra questa immensità si annega il pensier mio:
e 'l naufragar m'è dolce in questo mare
(So my mind sinks into this immensity:
and foundering is sweet in such a sea)