I can see underwater!

Last weekend, we went to the pool for the first time this summer (at our public parks ’n’ rec center). I got to wear my new sun hat that actually fits my giant melon!

My head is so big, and I also have such a volume of thick curly hair, that normal hats simply won’t fit me — or if I can manage to jam them onto my head, they immediately slide up and pop off because I have so much hair. After my dermatologist berated me for not wearing hats when outside (and apparently my excuse of “but I have so much hair, it’s a natural sun shield!” was baloney), I grumpily went ahead and just bought one online.

I really really dislike buying products online, sight unseen. I want to manhandle things in person and get a feel for their quality, weight, craftsmanship, fit, color, etc. before I purchase, but apparently that is not the way we do things in the world anymore. I don’t like this whole “you can just return it if you don’t like it!” garbage either. This creates waste in the form of shipping boxes and materials, fuel and emissions from transporting those shipping boxes all over the country, and time. It also takes advantage of peoples’ natural forgetfulness and/or laziness in meeting return windows.

Anyhow. I got lucky and like this hat fairly well. It didn’t come with any ventilation grommets, so I had to add those myself. I also added a chin strap to keep it from blowing away. It’s decent quality, can be folded or rolled or crushed, and most importantly, actually fits.

Next topic: my stomach that is visible in the above photo. Yes, it’s flabby, and I am also proud of it. I love those little squishy folds because they represent a huge victory for me. As most of y’all know, I have worked extremely hard over the past few years to be healthier, and a significant weight loss came along with that. My skin is super-elasticky by nature, so I don’t have a crazy amount of extra skin hanging around my middle, but there is some, and rather than being embarrassed or ashamed or complying with the world’s demands to cover up, I see it as a memento of my hard work. BEHOLD MY BELLY! IT IS A GOD DAMNED DELIGHT!

One thing that simply did not occur to me until about half way through our hour at the pool was that since my eye surgery last fall, I CAN SEE WHEN I SWIM! No longer must I choose between A) wearing glasses, keeping my head out of the water, and being extremely careful not to lose them, or B) removing them and not being able to see jack shit!

Last summer I tried to go down the giant waterslide wearing glasses, and they were torn off my face when I hit the pool at the bottom. Of course, I couldn’t see well enough to find them at the bottom of the pool so I had to hail a lifeguard who made everyone up at the top stop and wait while he waded in and retrieved them for me. Then I went down the slide sans glasses, and it just wasn’t as fun when I couldn’t see what was going on. This year, I can use the waterslide like a normal human!

Also: I can wear goggles and SEE UNDERWATER! Prior to my surgery, I technically COULD wear goggles but there was no point since I was so horribly nearsighted that I couldn’t see anything anyway. It’s amazing!