Early mariners saw mermaids as beautiful women. We know they were seeing big fish. They'd just been at sea too long, enough time for big fish to become beautiful women in their imagination.
I'm trying for something equally symbolic but more
serious. My Mermaid represents a concept, not an anthropomorphized fish. This idea applies to any concept. As we think,
reason, fantasize, muse, our vague concepts become rigid. Concepts get so precise in our minds it becomes convenient to dismiss further consideration. Concepts become beliefs which limit our thinking.
My mermaid is not pretty, but she has redeeming features. She has a delightful, empathetic smile. Can I be bold enough to suggest Mona Lisa smile? She seems happy in her aquatic environment. We can reflect. Are we making the most of our environment? Do we accept strange people for what they are, rather than some preconceptions? Do we routinely review our concepts?
Click the Mermaid picture to see an enlarged version.