My Rose Tattoo

Many people wonder why I have a giant rose on my neck. I got inked in Indiana a couple years ago when I had to escape California after I had no where to live once again. It was and is the most painful thing I have ever experienced which lasted for several hours as my body slid down the chair repeatedly clenching my teeth with my tear filled eyes.

The rose is considered a symbol of balance. The beauty of this flower expresses promise, hope, and new beginnings. It is contrasted by thorns symbolizing defense, loss, and thoughtlessness. In the Roman Empire, roses were used as a symbol of bloodshed while in the Greek mythology, rose symbolized immortal love after roses grew from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess' pool.

For me the rose also stands for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast which was my first job in NYC which then led me to Los Angeles touring with the show. It’s also the theme of the show and very poignant.

“Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young Prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind

But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress

The Prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous Beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there

Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a Beast for all time

As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope

For who could ever learn to love a Beast?"