Jason Jones: Passing on Good Vibes
By Julie Perine on July 27, 2014
If you frequent East Main Street, you’ve likely seen Jason Jones. He often travels on foot – and along the way, he enthusiastically waves at passersby. Jones walks from his Bridgeport apartment to his place of employment – AmeriCorps Financial Empowerment Services– located on Second Street. There, he works to keep individuals informed of programs and services which promote independence. Jones knows all too well how important that is. Here is his story:
Jason Jones planned on being part of the 2007 Bridgeport High School graduating class. That was before he wrecked his car – traveling to school one morning from his Wetzel County home.
“It was just inside the Harrison County line near Wallace,” he said. “I hit two electric poles doing 95 miles per hour.”
He made the drive from Folsom to Bridgeport every morning.
“It should be about an hour’s drive, but I made it in 25 to 30 minutes,” Jones said. “There are a lot of straightaways.”
Jones said he was accustomed to driving with a “lead foot.” But on Dec. 21, 2006, his speed nearly cost him his life.
“I was air lifted from Wallace to Ruby Memorial Hospital. I was in a coma for three weeks and on life support for two,” he said. “The doctor told my family I was all but dead – and at best I would be a vegetable in a nursing home.”
On Jan. 5, 2007, Jones was moved out of the hospital’s critical care unit and later that month, he was moved to HealthSouth to begin rehabilitation. In May, he was released to go home.
“I was in a wheelchair. I couldn’t walk, but I refused to give up,” he said. “I had a lot of anger sometimes. I hated feeling like I was looked down upon – and I felt like I was a big burden.”
There was one particular individual in his town of Folsom – a guy on probation, in fact – who taught Jones to believe himself and his abilities, he said.
Not only did Jones return to school in August of 2007 and graduate from high school in May of 2008, but later that month - exactly one year from his release from HealthSouth – he moved into his own Bridgeport apartment. And for the last four years and six months, that has been his home.
Jones’ accident has left him with some severe conditions.
“I have a TBI brain injury. The nerve damage causes me to shake,” he said. “If I get too tired, my legs shake and it’s hard to stand or squat too low or exert myself. Sometimes, I kind of collapse almost. My left side is paralyzed and I have short-term memory loss.”
So that means Jones has to seek out his own ways to do everyday things. That includes his workout at the gym.
“I look at how people do stuff. I may not be able to do that, but I can find ways to accommodate my needs,” he said. “Like, I can’t do a push-up because I cannot fully open my left hand, but I can do a knuckle push-up. That might be harder, but I don’t have an issue with it, really.”
Jones would have liked to obtained a college degree. In fact, he gave it a shot. The first attempt was to get into West Virginia University.
“I was kind of depressed about the whole thing. I spent almost $300 in medical papers to prove my disability, but then I couldn’t score high enough on my ACT,” he said.
Then, another window of opportunity opened.
“My friend Gwen Cornman took me to the Fairmont State campus to talk to people and I took the COMPASS (Placement) test – the university’s equivalent – and got a 19 or something,” he said. “It was high enough to get in.”
By the fall of 2009, Jones was on campus at FSU. His chosen field of study was nutrition.
“I had a lot of issues and I didn’t like asking for help when I needed it. I had some culinary classes and the chefs were nervous about me touching the hot pans and stuff,” he said. “I ended up overdosing Nov. 4 on muscle relaxers and ended up in the psych ward.”
In the spring of 2010, he went back to school.
“I thought I should try again, so I did a general studies type thing at the (FSU) Caperton Center,” he said. “But I ended up dropping out again. It was disappointing.”
Although Jones has dealt with bouts of depression, he’s had an internal drive which has caused him to persevere.
For several months, he worked at LG Liquor at Johnson Center Plaza.
“I loved it. I came in numerous times to work extra shifts as a cashier,” he said. “I read my bible and checked people out with their tobacco and liquor.”
He made a lot of friends there, he said. In fact, he sent out Christmas cards to some of his customers that year.
Jones has also worked for Job Squad and presently, is happy in his work with AmeriCorps. Soon, though, that will come to an end. His contract ends in September of this year and Americorps will soon be pulling out of the immediate area.
“But maybe I can use what I know – the work experience I have – and serve the community with the information I have. It’s great to pass along.”
And speaking of passing along, Jones will be waving. Watch for him.
“People probably wonder why I’m waving,” he said. “It gives me something to do while I’m walking and makes the time and distance go quicker.”
And maybe – just maybe – someone is having a bad day and when they see Jones waving and smiling ear to ear, their outlook changes, he said.
“I love getting beeps. It’s encouraging when people are excited to see me,” he said. “Maybe my job is to pass that on in some way. I’m just passing on the good vibes.”
Editor’s Note: Jones would be happy if those who could benefit would attend Americorp’s “Social Security – Disability Work Incentives,” 2 p.m. Aug. 27 at Bridgeport Public Library. About 90 minutes in length, the program will be presented by Joshua Phillips, Community Work Incentives Coordinator. RSVP by contacting Jones 304-848-0850, ext. 113 or Sherri Unger, 304-848-0850, ext. 107.
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