Jason's Story
Just as with Jim from my last post, I met Jason through my sports writing internship because he is on my university’s basketball team. My university doesn’t have many players with obvious tattoos, so I was excited to see that Jason has a couple and that he was willing to talk with me about them.

Jason says he always thought tattoos were cool and hoped he would get one someday. When he was a sophomore in high school, he asked his parents about getting one, and they said he would have to wait until he was 18. So when that time came, he knew what he wanted and where he would go.

Some of his high school friends who had tattoos recommended the shop and artist he went to. Jason says when he first got to the shop, he was a little nervous by the look of the building, but when he got inside and saw how clean the shop was as well as how professional the artist was, he felt better about getting his tattoo there.

And, just like anyone going in for their first tattoo, Jason says he was nervous of how painful getting a tattoo is, especially after hearing mixed messages from his friends. But he says the tattoo artist was understanding and gave Jason a sample of what it would feel like. After realizing he could handle the pain, he went along with getting his tattoo.

The tattoo he got was of a verse that has been influential his whole life — Isaiah 41:10 — which says, “Fear not for I am with you. Be not afraid for I am your God.” Jason says that he initially just got the verse on the scroll, and it wasn’t until he went to college and grew some that he added the clouds and angels to fit his shoulder better.

He then got a tattoo on his other shoulder, another that has roots in Scripture. This tattoo is of a cross with the words “By his wounds we are healed” at the top. He says that he hopes to add something to this tattoo to fill up his shoulder more, but right now he isn’t sure what that will be.

Along with adding to the tattoo on his left shoulder, Jason says he hopes to get a tattoo in honor of his mom and grandmother, because they have meant so much to him. He says this tattoo will likely be on his chest, though, again, he isn’t sure of what the design will be.

Thanks for reading Jason’s story. Feel free to leave a comment below to let me know what you think! I hope you all come back soon.