When I interviewed at Pearson VUE, I had no idea what the company did. I had never heard of "computer-based testing". I had gotten laid off from my previous employer, and was having visions of being laid off for months and months as I struggled to find another job. Surprisingly, I was only laid off for two weeks when I interviewed and was offered the position at Pearson VUE.
You know when you just click with a group of people, and it feels right? The team that I worked with there were absolutely wonderful. My supervisor said it the best when she said, "I think why we work so well together is that we all genuinely like each other."
So true! I genuinely liked the people that I worked with. I was closer with some more than others, but we were always laughing and having a good time while we worked. When you spend eight hours a day with your team, they become your surrogate family.
One of my co-workers, Trinia, knew that I had a tattoo and when I announced that I was leaving the company due to my husband's job relocation, she suggested that we get tattoos together before I left for Texas. Trinia was like my work sister. (Trinia's real sister actually works there, too, but that's a different story.) I came to care about her like I would a real sister, and I thought it was a fabulous idea!
I wasn't planning on getting another tattoo. You are either a tattoo lover, or you aren't. Most people that I know personally don't really care for tattoos. I had gotten a tattoo about 7 years ago on my ankle, and it is a one-of-a-kind tattoo in that it incorporates three letter C's intertwined with each other, representing each of my children whose names all begin with the letter C. The artist incorporated my vision of the three C's and also put some lovely cherry blossoms in the design. However, I am not one of those people who get addicted to getting tattoos. (Most people who get tattoos will tell you that they are addicting.)
When Trinia suggested that we get tattoos together, I knew immediately that I wanted to get a tattoo that incorporated the universal symbol for autism. Corbin was diagnosed with autism four months before I left Pearson VUE, and it was something deeply personal to me. Getting an autism-inspired tattoo was how I wanted to honor him, support him, and raise awareness. Perfect!
The Autism Awareness Ribbon — The puzzle pattern reflects the mystery and complexity of the autism spectrum. The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and families living with the condition. The brightness of the ribbon signals hope — hope that through increased awareness of autism, and through early intervention and appropriate treatments, people with autism will lead fuller, more complete lives. (Source: Autism Society.)
I knew that I wanted to get a tattoo on the top of my foot. My real step-sister, Lindsey, has a tattoo that she designed herself on the top of her foot and I loved the look of it. My last day of work was scheduled for January 31. Monday, January 20, was Martin Luther King Day and Pearson VUE was closed for the holiday. So, armed with my photo of my autism ribbon, Trinia and I headed to the tattoo shop. The name of the shop is called Aloha Monkey, and it is the exact same shop that I got my first tattoo at 7 years prior.
The first thing that happened with my tattoo artist was that he told me that the ribbon would have to be very large on my foot, in order to incorporate the ribbon because the puzzle pieces were intricate and you didn't want all of the lines to bleed together. I was so bummed. I didn't want a giant tattoo that covered my entire foot. Tattoos are charged based on intricacy and size. I didn't have $600 to spend, first of all, and secondly, I just didn't want a ginormous tattoo on my foot! [After I got my tattoo, I found a photo of exactly what I wanted, which basically proved that my tattoo artist was wrong -- he could have done the size that I was requesting, no problem.]
The artist then suggested that I incorporate the four different colors of the puzzle pieces into a tattoo. My second choice for a tattoo was the autism butterfly. I started looking though their books to find a butterfly design that I liked. I was happy if we could somehow link an autism butterfly, or perhaps just a regular butterfly, with the puzzle pieces.
The tattoo artist drew something up for me. Although I was disappointed that I didn't get to use my original idea for a design, the alternative was cool. It had scrolling filigree lines that incorporated a butterfly and the four different color autism puzzle pieces.
Here's the final tattoo:
The stars were a part of the filigree design from the book at the tattoo shop, but it is a way to honor my two NT girls (neuro-typical, for those of you who don't speak autism lingo). The girls are all-star cheerleaders, and all-star cheerleading is a big part of our lives.
The above photos were taken today, two months after receiving the tattoo. I needed to wait until my foot healed for a normal photo. Four days after I got the tattoo, I ended up in Urgent Care with an infected foot.
The photo above shows my normal sized foot (above, left) and my infected foot (above, right). I had no ankle; it became a "cankle". Walking on it was extremely painful, causing me to limp like a gimp. The tattoo itself became extremely hot to the touch, which was one of the signs that it had become infected (in addition to the swelling). I also had developed a fever.
The doctor told me that it was a puncture wound infection caused by the tattoo needles. It was a fluke, and was NOT caused by anything the tattoo parlor did wrong. However, they wanted me to take it seriously because it could have become a blood infection if not treated properly. They gave me a shot of antibiotics right there in the exam room, and sent me home with oral antibiotics to follow up with. I was to stay off my feet for the next few days to try to keep the swelling down.
It came at the worst time, because I was supposed to be organizing a move across the country. It also made me cut my end date for working a day and a half shorter. The team had organized a goodbye lunch for me so I could say farewell, and it ended up being canceled. I had to go into the office for about an hour, clean out my desk, and limp away with my tail between my legs. SO NOT WHAT I WANTED!!! I had a really great relationship with my work family, and it ended up being very awkward and embarrassing departure.
As I said earlier, I didn't find this picture until AFTER I already got my tattoo. This is exactly what I originally wanted (without the name Tyler, of course - just the ribbon):
I'm not really sure if my tattoo artist was unable to see my vision, or was just unable to do the design based on his skill set. Either way, my tattoo ended up being another original - nobody else has the same design as me. Since autism is based on the same premise - each case of autism is unique, I guess that is all right by me!
When I look at my tattoo, I am reminded of my son and his daily struggle with autism. Because his diagnosis is so new, getting him the therapy he needs has been slow in coming. I cannot wait for the day he turns into a butterfly!!!
I am also reminded of my job at Pearson VUE, because I went with Trinia to get the tattoo. Trinia got a tattoo the same time as I was getting my tattoo. Trinia got a tattoo on her leg in honor of her brother. It was a gorgeous, colorful bird and it turned out beautiful! (Trinia did not get an infection, by the way - which also proves that it was a fluke for me.) I can say with pretty much 100 percent certainty that I won't be getting any more tattoos - but I am grateful for the experience.
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