[thread]

One day a few years ago, I was at the pool talking to one of the lifeguards. I was telling her how swimming laps graces me with a serenity and stillness I get nowhere else. "That& #39;s what the Harlem Mermaid says," she said.

"Hmm," I nodded.

Wait ...
The what??

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Turns out not only is there a mermaid living in Harlem, but this mermaid and I swim at the same pool.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐬" title="Delfin" aria-label="Emoji: Delfin">

I spent the next three years looking for the Harlem Mermaid. But it was always "She was here this morning" or "You just missed her" or "She& #39;ll probably be here tomorrow."
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Two years ago, I tracked down a doc film on mermaids in which she& #39;s prominently featured, so I learned her name, what she looks like, who her husband is, and how she became a mermaid. But that movie was as close as I got to seeing her.

Until yesterday.

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I was at the pool talking to a lifeguard (yes, the same one) when out of the corner of my eye, at the far end of the pool, I saw the sunlight glint off a wide golden fin just before the fin disappeared under water.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🌊" title="Wasserwelle" aria-label="Emoji: Wasserwelle">

I gasped.

The Harlem Mermaid! SHE& #39;S HERE!!

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I swam over to her. I introduced myself. I fangirled. I told her that I& #39;d been looking for her for years. We talked about the movie. I asked her if I could be a mermaid. Long story short --
She thinks I& #39;m great.
I think she& #39;s magic.
We& #39;re meeting today at the pool https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💙" title="Blaues Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Blaues Herz">

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In case @tgifraidy is reading this -- let me assure you, sir, every word of this is true.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐠" title="Tropischer Fisch" aria-label="Emoji: Tropischer Fisch">

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