Tattoos do not make you unprofessional, ignorance does

Imagine two young, eager potential employees sitting in the office of their dream job applying for the new opening.   Student A interned at a well known company both his junior and senior year of college.  He was involved in many extra curricular activities and had a 3.5 GPA.  Student B never interned while in college but worked a part time job at a local restaurant.   He was not involved in any activities outside of class and finished with a 2.9 GPA.  Student B gets the job.  Why you may ask...that makes no sense, right? We were all totally cheering for Student A.

Student A lost the job because he had a tattoo sleeve on his left arm.


(Before we continue you should know one thing.  I currently have no tattoos.)


Now, this was a totally hypothetical situation, but when you stop and think about it - it happens every single day.  Tattoos are an art form that have been around since the Neolithic Age.  For those of you who aren't history nerds that roughly 10,200 B.C. For some, back then, it was thought to possibly be a healing mechanism.  Maybe to others it was a form of art or self expression as it is today.

Take a long hard look at the following people and tell me what they have in common...

Geoff Ramsey - Internet/Video Game voice actor, Co-Founder of Youtube sensation Rooster Teeth

Andrew Jackson - 7th President of the United States of America

Angelina Jolie - Award winning Actress and Filmmaker

Johnny Depp - Actor, filmmaker, producer and musician

Lebron James - Professional basketball player.  Two NBA 

championships (& counting...am I right? ;) and Olympic Gold Medalist 

Winston Churchill - United Kingdom Prime Minister. Greatest wartime leader of 

the 20th Century

Answer:  They are all more successful and talented than you'll ever be.  And they had/have tattoos.  

In many different jobs today, one can be fired or simply not hired because of the way they look.  Yes, we have laws banning prejudice in the workplace in regards to race, sex, and physical ailments. We are not allowed to deny someone a job because of the way they look.  EXCEPT, employers found the loophole - there is no law protecting your job if you have a tattoo.  

Many employers state simply that having a tattoo makes you and their company look unprofessional. Excuse me but last time I checked most people don't have "KILLER" tattooed across their knuckles or "I hate (place anything offensive here)" or "(Place curse word here)" tattooed on them.  Yes, if their tattoo says or looks actually offensive that is a different story.  But we are talking about regular people here tattooed with regular words or regular non-offensive pictures.  Who gave you the God-given right to call another man unprofessional based on his appearance?  I personally think the quick judgement is unprofessional myself.  

Let's just reinforce one thing... 

Things that SHOULD BE CONSIDERED unprofessional in a workplace: 

-Dating your supervisor

-Not paying over time

-Not giving an employee their pay

-Wearing sweatpants to the office

-Swearing/cursing/yelling at your employees/peers

Things that SHOULD NOT be considered unprofessional in a workplace:

-Professional body modifications such as ink on a skin

Tattoos do not deem you unworthy to perform any task assigned at any job.  Tattoos do not make you trashy. Tattoos do not make you a piece of trash. Tattoos do not make you a convict. Tattoos do not make you a bad person.  Tattoos do not make you unprofessional, ignorance does.

I'm sorry if a eloquently done flower on a shoulder offends you, but your judgement offends me.  

6 Things Women Should Stop Having To Do

1.  Apologizing for wearing makeup/not wearing makeup 
Ew, why are you wearing red lipstick to the gym? Because I want a killer body and to look fabulous doing so that's why!  We live in a world where women are pressured to look a certain way. The women on the magazines don't even look like the women on magazines because of makeup and photoshop.  Women can hardly go to the grocery store without makeup on or we are asked if we're feeling sick or instantly assumed we are dying.  This same world, though, cruelly judges us when we do though.  We've all heard some guy say "you'd be prettier without so much makeup" but the second it comes off they run for the hills.  Guess what guys - we will wear as little or as much makeup as we damn well please without trying to please you because we're all fabulous.

2. Saying they're not a feminist
Oh you're not a feminist? So you think men should have more rights than women? Well that's what you just said.  FEMINISM DOES NOT MEAN YOU HATE MEN, OR LIKE TO BURN BRAS, OR THINK WOMEN SHOULD RULE THE WORLD (but c'mon just think about it...), feminism simply means that you believe women should all the same rights and responsibilities as men. Equal rights are totally in right now.  Why are little girls called bossy but little boys praised for being good leaders? Double standards, that's why.  It makes my heart so happy that Emma Watson (well known for portraying the role of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films) recently stood up and spoke in front of the UN about the common misconception of feminism.  Hopefully with the likes of Miss Watson, Beyonce and Taylor Swift (to name a few) coming out as feminists, young girls will follow in their lead.

3. Apologizing for liking Taylor Swift

Anyone who knows me understands that Taylor Swift will forever be my first love.  I also need like 5 more hands to count the number of times someone has asked "Who's your favorite artist or band?" and I've had to quickly mumble Taylor Swift's name hoping they don't hear me only to look up to see them rolling their eyes or giving me a look of disgust. Why? Since the beginning of her time, everyone has stereotyped the girl as the crazy, clingy ex girlfriend who does anything for attention.  The girl is now 24 years old and has only had 6 boyfriends,  being in the spotlight for 8 years.  Wow, what a slut, right? Wrong.  All of her songs are about bashing her ex boyfriends? Nope you've probably only listened to like 3 songs, so that's okay.  She should right a song saying that she's problem? Yeah, she's way ahead of you considering she's mentioned it countless times in many songs.  She's just another stuck up, wanna-be celebrity that doesn't care about her fans? Right, that's why she visits children's hospitals like once a month, invites hundreds of fans into her personal home to listen to her unreleased album, and consistently talks to her fans on social media.  Also not to mention if someone hacks her phone they'll only find pictures of her cats, baked goods, and maybe the occasional selfie.  Have I also mentioned she's been writing her own songs since before she was even in middle school?  When she finally does write a song saying she doesn't care what the haters have to say and she's going to continue dancing to the beat of her own drum, people still find a way to twist her words.  OH WELL.  Quit apologizing and denying that you like one of the world's most strong, inspirational  and successful women and just shake it off.  

4. Slut shaming

Ooh, she's wearing short shorts she must spend every second of her free time nailing some guy she met 5 minutes ago. Or, you know, maybe it's hot outside and she wants to wear something that shows off her awesome legs.  Especially in the high school and college era of our lives us girls like to pick each other apart until there's nothing left.  The reality is we need to stick together.  Girl power rocks, and it can only exist if we stop calling each other whores and sluts.  Who cares if the girl in your sorority has slept with over a hundred different guys? Does that make her less of a person? Does that give you any right to call her names? Here we are back to the double standard.  Guys are praised if they sleep with a lot of women,  show off their nice six ab and basically walk around half-naked.  But God forbid a girl shows off a tiny bit of cleavage, we riot.  If you like having tons of sex - cool. If you decide you're going to wait until marriage - awesome.  If you like wearing booty shorts that show off a bit of cheek - go for it.  If you prefer shorts that stay below your fingertips - then do it.  There's no need to for name calling.  

5. Being told to cover their bodies

Maybe this goes hand-in-hand with slut shaming, but I feel so passionately about what I'm about to say it deserved its own number.  Recently my old high school decided to ban girls from wearing yoga pants and leggings.  Why? Because it was distracting to guys.  IT. WAS. DISTRACTING. GUYS. REALLY?  Instead of teaching guys to keep their eye on the prize (ahem, the school work not their neighbor's ass), we tell girls that they should be ashamed of their body and that they have to hide it.  I can remember sitting in grade school watching a girl get yelled at for wearing a tank top to school.  Do our bare shoulders really turn you on that much that you can not focus on your work for 7 hours?  Well your idiocy is distracting me.  This just goes to show that we still live in a rape culture.  We blame the victims for showing too much skin instead of blaming the a-holes who couldn't keep their hands to themselves.  

6. Apologize for having emotions

I cry during movies.  I once cried during a commercial about abused puppies.  Sometimes I cry if you make fun of me for crying.  Do not ask us if we are PMSing and for the love of those sad abused puppies, do not just ASSUME we are pmsing.  We aren't just crying for the sake of crying, it's called hormones.  And men have them too.  I'm sorry you prefer to bottle it all up and not have a soul but do not make us feel like we are crazy for feeling everything too much.  

The Sounds of Fall

We all know exactly what the season fall looks like.
Scarves, orange leaves, tiny foxes, pumpkin patches, hay piles, halloween costumes, and cozy sweaters.
We all know what it smells like.  Pumpkin pie, that fresh outdoor smell, coffee, cinnamon cookies, hay, and crisp apples.
The idea of what exactly fall sounds like has been on my mind as of late.
I've decided to sum up, for me, what my favorite season sounds like with 10 songs for you to enjoy.



10. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
We've all heard the hit song.  It's the sad, lonely hit song about loving someone so much and knowing that it's doomed.  It won't last and unfortunately there's nothing you can do about it except sit back and watch it happen.  One thing you should know about me is that I love the acoustic guitar.  Every song from here on out will probably feature an acoustic guitar, too.  It just sounds like fall to me, whatever that means.  If this song is not on your Sunday morning playlist while you're wrapped in an oversized sweater, sipping coffee, get on it. Disclaimer: you may need some tissues because this song makes you feel heart ache whether you can relate or not.

9. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
This song features very few words. Yet somehow it just screams fall. I almost can't even explain. The second you listen you will nod your head and say "aw yes, that indeed is the sound of fall".

8. Young Volcanoes - Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy?! A song that reminds you of the warm feeling of fall?! Yes. One of those rare Fall Out Boy songs that features an acoustic guitar,  This song was my jam all summer long but it just feels more natural now that the leaves are changing. Is it the reference to foxes and hounds? Or is it because you feel like sitting around a campfire with all your besties singing along?

7.  Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran
Okay okay okay, so acoustic guitars may be my guilty pleasure, but acoustic guitars with violin are the key to my heart and scream fall in my ears.  Ed Sheeran is the poster child for our season of autumn. His ginger hair and ugly sweaters make everything all right.

6.  Beer/Flashlight/Maps - The Front Bottoms
These are three different songs, btw. I couldn't choose.  I pride myself on my ability to discover awesome little bands on my own.  With the Front Bottoms it was different though. I was casually listening to an old friend's radio show back in the fall/winter of 2011 and they played the song Maps. I spent the next week searching the internet up and down for a copy of the album.  The Front Bottoms are the perfect defintion of angsty men and I love my music angsty.  All three of these songs makes you want to go camping and curl up to the fire on a chilly night and pray you don't get eaten by a bear. Thanks for introducing me to this band, now I hope I introduce all of you. Enjoy.

5.  Oh Comely - Neutral Milk Hotel
I went through a phase where I wanted to listen to nothing but Neutral Milk Hotel.  This song is about 8 minutes of acoustic guitar and a raspy voice.  There's something very dark and uneasy about this song, and I believe there is also something very dark and uneasy about fall too.  Everything around us is dying and it's the beginning of the end (of the year).

4. I Won't Be Found - The Tallest Man on Earth
I can only listen to this song from September - February. There's something so completely original about it all.  His voice is unlike none you've ever heard and it's another one of those songs that I can not explain to you as to why it sounds like fall, but please do yourself a favor and type this into youtube. It will definitely make your fall fever playlist.

3.  Tiny Vessels - Death Cab For Cutie
Now we get personal.  3 years ago I spent two weeks listening to this song on repeat nonstop.  I don't think I listened to anything else.  I was so wrapped up in the song and I was trying to relate it somehow to my life and I couldn't make sense of it.  8 months later I finally got it, "you are beautiful, but you don't mean a thing to me."  Every time I hear it now I go back to that place 3 years ago and even on the hottest summer day, for the few minutes it plays it feels like fall.  It's a very sad, apathetic song and as much as I wish it was fall 365 days a year, there is something morbid about it.

2.  All Too Well - Taylor Swift
The references in the song automatically tell you the setting of the song is fall.  "Autumn leaves falling...", scarves, etc.  The thing this song doesn't tell you is that Miss Swift basically wrote this song for me.  This song basically tells the story of an old friendship of mine and that friendship reminds me of autumn time, so math says this song = fall.

1. Civil Twilight  - The Weakerthans
I discovered the Weakerthans in high school, but it wasn't until I reached college that I met people who knew who they were. I wasn't the only one on Earth completely in love with their sound.  Friends come and go and for whatever reason we all parted but everytime I hear this song I instantly go back to one day in particular.  It was October or November and we were on some mindless adventures. I don't know why this memory haunts me every time this song plays. Lyrically the song also brings images of fall to your mind with mentions of bitter cold, dusk and roads icing over, but you received number one because I can't close my eyes when the song plays or it's instantly fall 2011.

I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you

Two weekends left.
It all started about 17 months ago and is now coming down to two weekends.
Looking back to when I first accepted the job,
I wonder if I would have accepted it knowing that it would impact my life so much.
It hasn't been just a job, it's been my life.

Next summer I may be back,
But not as a ride host.
I need an internship in theatre,
And well there's always Live E.
But it won't be the same.
It'll be a whole different job,
With brand new people.

I know I have already posted once about Cedar Point,
But I really just wanted to thank and acknowledge all the wonderful people I have met there.
I can't even imagine my life without you people.

My crew last summer was perfect,
We were all kind of a band of misfits that fit together Iike a puzzle.
And then I went to Meanstreak for a week and they adopted me like I was one of their own.

And this year.
Unfortunate ride situations, but I got the opportunity to work with so many crews and meet so many great people.
Huge thank you to the Antique Cars crew for basically making me one of your own when I had nowhere to go.
And to Mine Ride,
And to Dino's,
Thank you.
And then there's my actual crew.
We went through so much this summer,
Things other crews couldn't even imagine,
But in the end we all turned out alright.
I couldn't ask for a better, more hardworking crew.
Supervision and management, receive the second biggest thank you.
You all are amazing.
I will never be happy at any other job because no one will ever compare to you all.

My biggest thank you of all goes to the three closest people I met in my journey as a ride host.
Steve Strandburg, Brittney Kottke, and Kate Wilhem.
Thank you all so much.
Lets cram an eternities worth of memories into these final days.

"May these memories break our fall"

Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out

I am talented at many things.
I have many skills.
One thing I've never been good at, though, is keeping friends.

Today sitting in class,
My professor told us to close our eyes and picture our best friend.
The one person who is always there for you in your darkest moments,
I closed my eyes and flashbacks of old friends danced in my mind.
I have had friends.
Many friends.
Some of them were really close, others more like acquaintances.
All of them had a common denominator,
There was always a fall out.


In high school, I never had many friends.
A vast majority of my nights were hanging out with my dad watching hockey.
Then the tables turned senior year and I made two really great friends.
After a rough year, we eventually fell apart.
I start college, make really great friends, transfer schools, lose really great friends.
Go to this whole new world, make tremendous new best friends.
But as usual, we fall out.
I could write a book called "Maybe I'm the Problem,"
But the story goes, friends I make usually leave when I need them most.


I'm still sitting here, my mind running at high speeds trying to think of one person.
Then I can only see one face, hear one laugh, one voice,
Clear as day.

My sister, Stephanie, is five years younger than I am.
We have always been more like friends than sisters.
She has never judged me,
Fully understands my love for Taylor Swift,
Dances with me to silly music at 2 am,
Watches the same stupid movies on repeat with me (even after all these years I will ever tire of 27 Dresses)
I know her secrets, she knows mine.
She would never leave me because I had a bad day(s)

You are my person, you will always be my person

Right here, right now

So many people are constantly wishing their lives away.
We've all done.
"I can't wait for this summer to be over"
When fall finally comes around "I can't wait until next summer!"
"I just wanna be 16"
Now 18.
Now 21.

We spend our lives constantly wanting the next chapter, but we are missing out on the right here and now.
The day you're wishing for will come soon, but will it ever be enough?

Same goes for the past.
People make mistakes,
Sometimes little ones like forgetting your homework at home,
Sometimes big things that'll change your life forever.
Learn from your mistakes, don't dwell.
What's past is past.

Start living in the now.
Enjoy being 20 and not 21,
Chances are you'll be too broke for alcohol when you turn 21 anyway.
Enjoy your job now because chances are next summer everything will change, nothing will be the same.

I spent my entire high school career wishing for it to be over so I could go to college.
I spent my entire freshmen year of college wishing for it to be over so I could go to a new school.
I spent my entire sophomore year of college wishing for it to be over to so I could go back to Cedar Point.
I spent the entire summer wishing for it to be over because nothing was the same and I wanted back at school.

Now I sit and cherish the remaining weekends of work, the remaining weeks of school.

Enjoy the little things.
Enjoy the now.

Time of your life

About 18 months ago, the end of my freshman year of college, my mom applied for a job for me.
When she told me I didn't even think too much about it or if I even wanted to do it.
Within a few weeks I got a call back to work at America's number one voted amusement park.
I decided to do it.

The summer of 2012 was life changing.
I met new people,
Discovered new interests,
Welcomed impacting people into my life,
And moved hours away from home to little Sandusky Ohio.

It was such an experience of a lifetime, I went back this summer.
Even though this summer is kind of a giant blur, looking back,
I do not regret going back.
And then summer ended and I needed to leave for many reasons.
But last weekend I went back, and will be back for the rest of the season.
I couldn't be happier.

Today while leaving class, someone noticed a Maverick button on my purse
They rolled their eyes and said to their friend "Cedar Point employees are way to obsessed with their job."
We are obsessed with our job.
And why wouldn't we be?

Every weekend I get to leave school and hang out at an amusement park.
I get to live and work with my best friends.
I get to meet thousands of people a day and be thanked for simply ensuring their safety.
I get to watch little kids smile, their eyes light up because I asked how their ride was.
Why shouldn't we be obsessed with our job?
It's honestly the experience of a lifetime.