I have been a longtime supporter of Street Roots newspaper for several years. As a result, I have come to know many of its wonderfully resilient and friendly vendors. One of those vendors was Jason Mitchell.
I first saw Jason several years ago, spare changing on the streets of downtown Portland. What stood out in my mind with regard to Jason was his ready smile and his sense of humor. He always seemed to be laughing. I saw the tattoos etched across his face and while I knew on some level that he was a 'street kid,' I never at any time felt intimidated or afraid. That and his friendliness was always the reason that I would give him a few coins if I had them.
I wondered about him often as the years went by. Many times, I could tell he didn't remember me and that he might be high on something. He always stood out in my mind, because he was the kid who had had at one time, the balls to get numerous tattoos on his face. That made him unique in an odd way.
Then I watched as he and his wife, Annie, got to know each other, and I would see them on the bus together. I was glad to know that he had found a nice girl who would stay by his side and look after him. When I heard they had gotten married and were expecting a child, I felt very happy for both of them. Seeing the change in Jason has been inspiring because I often wondered if Jason would be like so many others, falling victim to drugs and self-destruction. Knowing now that he is having his tattoos removed and has aspirations of mentoring youths about this very issue is also very inspirational to me.
I think for Street Roots to highlight Jason's story was a wise and generous thing to do. He and his family are a source of hope to many people, an indication that love and human decency still reign supreme and that anything is possible. I wish Jason and Annie and their darling daughter Zaphen the very best. The folks at Outside In who organize this terrific volunteer work by local professionals with tattoo removal also deserve a big round of applause as well.
Excellent article!