So often in this day and age, people like to show their individuality. It can be with tattoos. It can be with piercings. It can also be with hair color… or, in some cases, colors.
Mary Walls Penney is a nurse in Raleigh County, West Virginia, who specializes in Alzheimer’s and dementia treatment. She also has her hair highlighted in rainbow colors of pink, purple, yellow and blue. It’s certainly not something you see on someone everyday. But it’s her. It’s Mary. That’s how she brands her individuality. Recently, Mary had to defend that individuality when a female cashier commented that she was surprised Mary was allowed to be a nurse and take care of people with all those wild colors in her hair.
Mary posted this on Facebook: “While checking out, the cashier, looked at my name tag and said, “So what do you do there?” I replied, “I’m a nurse,” She continued, “I’m surprised they let you work there like that. What do your patients think about your hair?”
THEN, said Mary, that cashier went on to ask the elderly woman standing behind her in line what she thought about Mary’s hair.
Wrote Mary: “The kind older lady said, “Nothing against you honey, it’s just not for me.’
Then the cashier continued to comment that they didn’t allow that sort of thing even when she worked fast food and that she was shocked that a nursing facility would allow that.”
Aside from the multi-colored hair, Mary also has some tattoos and piercings. So when she returned home from that outing, she was upset, and put her feelings down on the Facebook post.
She wrote: “I can’t recall a time that my hair color has prevented me from providing life saving treatment to one of my patients. My tattoos have never kept them from holding my hand and as they lay frightened and crying because Alzheimer’s has stolen their mind. My multiple ear piercings have never interfered with me hearing them reminisce about their better days or listening to them as they express their last wishes. My tongue piercing has never kept me from speaking words of encouragement to a newly diagnosed patient or from comforting a family that is grieving. So, please explain to me how my appearance, while being paired with my cheerful disposition, servant’s heart, and smiling face, has made me unfit to provide nursing care and unable to do my job!”
Apparently, there are a few who agree with her, with one woman commenting: ‘I am a fellow nurse, and have tattoos, had piercings, and recently started experimenting with different hair color. At no time has it interfered with me providing quality care. I applaud you for being confident in your own skin.’
And that post of Mary’s has been shared more than 150,000 times. That should speak volumes for individuality.
