How To Care For Your Selkie Significant Other

Fun fact about me: my favourite mythical creature is the selkie - the Irish humanoid who can shed off the skin of a seal or sea lion to transform into a beautiful human - but if you startle them, they'll turn back into a pinniped and retreat to the sea!

Irish folktales are full of tragic selkie tales where they lose their sealskin and are trapped on land by a cruel fisherman, or where they fall in love with a human but the human cannot accept that for a selkie the sea comes first. But I don't think a selkie tale always has to be tragic. I think that if we really were to find and care for a selkie, it may take work and understanding (as does ANY relationship) but it can be romantic and beautiful.

These "tips" were adapted from a journal entry I made in my private journal about a fictional selkie character Sarah and I were talking about on Monday.

A pile of pinnipeds? Or selkies in disguise?

Tips for taking care of your Selkie S.O.:

• Run frequent baths for your selkie with bath bombs and cruelty-free bath products (with plastic-free packaging if possible) to keep both sets of skin hydrated and soft and clean.
• Make a commitment to cut down on your plastic waste as much as possibly can, as human-produced plastic waste kills the fish selkies need to eat and destroys their homes.
• Never ever ever hide your selkie's seal skin - not even as a joke!
• If your selkie hears a seal, sea lion, or even a dog barking, sometimes they'll bark back. As cute as this may be, resist the urge to tease them for it. They can be sensitive.
• The selkie-mermaid rivalry is real. Always take the selkies' side of it.
• Collect pretty shells you find to decorate the bedroom you share. Your selkie will appreciate your effort to make them feel less homesick
• Selkies' natural diet is mostly fish. One of their favourite human foods is sushi - the fish is raw, like they're used to, but they don't get strange looks for eating it in public. (Selkies are naturally cautious and tend to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to themselves.)
• Some selkies really like ice cream, but most of them are lactose intolerant. Be sure to have lots of Lactaid on hand to avoid tummyaches and smelly seal farts.
• Selkie society is very big on music and song. Even if you're not a strong singer, they appreciate the effort when you try. Alternately, make them a playlist. You can include sea shanties, Irish folk music, and whalesongs if you like, but they'll try listening to any type of music at least once.
• It's well documented that seals love to cuddle, and this goes for selkies as well. Cuddle your selkie often and they will consider themselves yours.
• Lastly, but definitely most importantly, accept that every now and then your selkie needs to return to the ocean for awhile. It doesn't mean they don't love you; it's just something they have to do. Wait patiently and soon enough they will return to you.

Hopefully with these tips you can make the most of your relationship with such a beautiful creature.

-Nym

How To Cut Down on Plastics in Three Parts

As some of you already know, I work at Ellis Island on certain Mondays every month. Well I am very pleased that as of yesterday, plastic bags have officially been eliminated from Ellis Island's Museum Store!

A lot of people don't know this about me, but as of the past few months this cause has become very important to me. We only have one planet and if we don't all do our part, it may not be livable by the time our children's children are born.

And plastic, though it does have its uses (in the medical field for example), is becoming a big problem. The accumulation of plastic in our oceans is fatal to marine animals such as whales, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles, who can get entangled in plastic materials and even mistake it for food. Plastic also takes a very long time to degrade, so we should be a lot more careful than we are with it. Because this problem shows no sign of slowing - in fact, scientists expect plastic waste entering the ocean will increase by a considerable amount by 2025 if we don't all do our parts to change our habits, and soon.

Look, I don't mean to get preachy. Really, I don't. But I like oceans. I like ocean animals and I like our planet and I want to keep all these things around. This is important so we shouldn't be selfish about it - if you can help, even just a little bit, why wouldn't you want to? I know most of the blame lies with big corporations, but every tiny gesture we makes helps just a little.

You guys, just because "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" was the greatest of all "Star Trek" movies does not mean that I want to head towards the future where whales have gone extinct because humans are assholes. So let's do our part in the following ways:

1. Make the switch to reusable products

This is such an easy, simple switch, and it actually helps to save money in the long run. By switching to reusable water bottles, bringing cloth totes to the grocery store, and refusing plastic straws in restaurants/at home (use a reusable metal straw if you absolutely must have a straw - they are fantastic for cold drinks), you help cut down on a lot of plastic waste. Slow down and eat in to avoid takeaway containers and plastic cutlery. And if you absolutely must use something plastic? Reuse or recycle it whenever possible!

Also, you can purchase ocean-friendly plasticless products. For example - and I'm not married to this company so feel free to do your own research and shop elsewhere - but LUSH has a lot of fantastic plastic-free products that smell delicious and work wonderfully. I've made the switch to their solid shampoo bars (which last much longer than liquid shampoo - I use this one, myself) and their "naked" shower gels, both of which cut way down on my plastic waste. And if you like to sparkle, all of LUSH's glitter is plastic-free and biodegradable.

I swear that I'm not sponsored or anything, I just really really love their products...

2. Make a commitment to sustainability

Perhaps this is just a broader interpretation of point 1, but the point still stands. There are a number of ways we can be more sustainable, not just with plastic, but with everything! For example, if you eat seafood (as a vegetarian, I do not), do your best to make sure you're eating sustainable seafood instead of contributing to the species extinctions that things like plastic waste help cause. I've included a link to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's (a beloved California institution) guide to doing so, but there are a number of such guides on the web. Also? Pick up after yourself when you go to the beach, as quite a bit of marine debris gets its start as beach litter. (Seriously, guys, don't litter - what are you, a Captain Planet villain?)

When in doubt, try to remember the 7 R's of Sustainability: Refuse (if offered plastic bags or straws when out and about, say no), Reduce (cut down on how much you're using), Reuse (use products again if they're still good instead of just throwing it out), Repair (if it's broken try to fix it before buying another one), Rot (if something is biodegradable or made of natural materials, compost it instead of throwing it out to go to a landfill), Recycle (duh), and Rethink (if you can't do any of the above then do you really need that product???)

3. Be the one who influences change 

Spread the word about your commitment to sustainability! It may feel like you can't possibly make a difference, but if every single one of us talked to just one or two people, and they all talked to just one or two people, well, who knows what could happen?

Research conservation policies of public officials before you vote, or contact your local representatives about measures that cities like San Francisco have taken such as banning plastic bags and plastic straws. Speak up about your concerns if you spot a threatened species on a restaurant menu, and take part in initiatives that fight for the cause!

This is gonna sound absolutely cheesy, but we can do this if we work together. Yes, it feels like an uphill battle - because it absolutely is one - but it's not impossible.

#SaveTheWhales
-Nym

A Very Gay Sunday

Pride Month has come to NYC and I don't know about any of you guys, but I intend to enjoy it to the fullest. I'm still not used to having events where I can celebrate being completely, unabashedly myself, but it's thoroughly freeing to be able to do so!

This past Sunday, the 10th, I attended not one, but two LGBT+ events to kick off my Pride Month. In the afternoon, I was on a private tour of the Lesbian Herstory Archives, which I had never been to before. And in the evening I met up with Sarah, and we attended a trivia competition with the Gay Geeks of New York at the LGBT Centre in Chelsea. (We didn't win but we made friends and had a lot of fun.)

And that's not all! I'm attending numerous LGBT events later this month as well, and if you're in the NYC area I strongly encourage you join me there!

It's JUNE

And you know what that means?

IT'S PRIDE MONTH BITCHES.

I've got some exciting things coming up this month! I am going to a couple LGBT events in honour of Pride - not to the giant parade itself (I don't like crowds and the blatant capitalism of the event makes me a bit uncomfortable tbh) but there are a couple lesbian events I'm attending, and Sarah and I are also thinking of hosting a pride potluck picnic in Prospect Park. (How's that for alliteration?)

I'm also thinking of confessing my feelings to the girl I like. Even if she doesn't return them, even if chances are that we only will ever be friends, part of me still wants to tell her just in case I do have a chance. (I don't think that I do though...) Knowing me, though, I honestly bet that I'm gonna chicken out... She's probably not looking for a relationship right now anyway...

At the end of the month, I will be returning to California for a week for my high school reunion, my 28th birthday (which I'm gonna spend in San Francisco), and my GRE! That's gonna be EXCITING!

And, well, that's what's going on in my life lately. So look forward to lots of great entries this summer - about pride, about my California adventures, about what happens if by some miracle I don't chicken out in confessing to this girl...

And happy pride to all my LGBT+ friends!
-Nym