Personal Narrative: My First Tattoo

When I walked into the hospital room and saw my great-grandma lying there dying, I was heartbroken. I was even more heartbroken when she looked at me and told me that she was upset with me. That is not the last thing I wanted to hear before she was about to die. Hours before I had entered the hospital room I went to a tattoo shop and got my first tattoo. At the time I did not know that my grandma would be in the hospital or I would had rescheduled. Anyways, my grandma was upset that I had put something on my body that should not be there. I had a long talk with my grandma about the many reasons why I chose to get the tattoo, and why I wanted more, she was still not convinced. She told me that as long as she was still alive she did not want …show more content…
My tattoos are on my left arm and are formed into a half-sleeve. There are eight pieces that make up my half-sleeve. The biggest piece on my arm is an anchor, the other pieces are a Celtic knot, shamrock, feather, butterfly, three daisies, crown, and a mandala. Most of the pieces mean something very special to me and a couple of the pieces I really just enjoy on my arm and have liked them for a long time. The anchor is a sibling tattoo, my brother has an anchor on his chest and my sister will get an anchor when she turns eighteen. The anchor just represents that we are there for each other, on my brother’s anchor it says, “We will never drift apart.” The Celtic knot I got tattooed on me because I am Irish, the shamrock goes along with me being Irish, but also because I was born on Saint Patrick’s Day and so was my great-grandma. The feather and mandala I really just enjoyed the looks of them, I have always love how pretty they both are. The butterfly I got because of my mom, she also has a butterfly. The daisies I got because I love daisies and they are purple which is my favorite color. Lastly, the crown I got because of my dad, since I was little he has always called me Princess and the name just stuck. I think that to get a tattoo it needs to be special, something a person is willing to pay money for because tattoos are not cheap unless they are couch tattoos. I did not get my tattoos all at one time, I …show more content…
I currently work in the mall here in St. Joseph and I am not required to cover up my tattoos, thankfully. I have had many people tell me that I hope I plan on working at the shoe store the rest of my life. I quickly respond with, no I will most likely be teaching your kids someday. Most people do not like that response, but for the most part it is the truth. Once I am done with college I will hopefully be able to pursue my dreams in teaching students with special needs. Many of my family members are concerned that with me having tattoos on my arm that I will not be able to accomplish my dreams. The way I look at it is, if an employer is not going to hire me only because I have tattoos and that is the only reason then clearly that work environment is not the work environment I want to be in. I want to work in a place that is going to accept everything about me and if I have to cover up my tattoos then I cannot work there and that place is losing a good worker. Leidy currently works with young children at a daycare and I asked her if she was required to cover up her tattoos, “Nope”, she responded (3). Another question I had for Leidy regarding the work environment is if her tattoos have affected any job opportunities, “It has never affected any of my jobs or opportunities for any at all” (3). Thankfully neither of us have had to deal with tattoos in the workplace yet. I have heard that tattoos in the workplace is a