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Every weekday morning, you will find Eddie Jones at the corner of 19th and Clark Streets helping kids cross the street to King Elementary. But that is not the only thing Jones is doing. In three years as a crosswalk guard, Jones has impacted lives and put a smile on the faces of many. 

Every person that Eddie comes across knows him — not by name but by his big smile and positive attitude. He waves at cars as he rocks out to Stevie Ray Vaughan in is headphones and helps children cross the street. 

Eddie’s act is enhanced by his stop-sign guitar, named Grace (after his wife). He said he loves music but couldn’t dance, so he designed Grace to give him something to do. 

“Before I turned my stop sign into a guitar, I would be there, and I don’t know, I felt awkward because I like the music still, and I got the music going, and I can’t dance, so I had to have something to do,” Eddie said. “Because I do have a ‘lil artistic background, I designed it. That’s my second one, I think.”

While he dances, Eddie also talks with the children. 

“I try to coax (the children) into looking for the cars — looking into the eyes of the driver — and then crossing the street,” Eddie said. “Because I’m not gonna be there all the time, especially when it warms up. They come and play up there a lot.”

Eddie believes that this small lesson is more important than just crossing the street. He said it’s important for them to have the courage and faith in themselves to cross the street without someone being there to walk them across. 

Eddie wasn’t always this positive. For a long time, his life was difficult.  

“I don’t like to go into my childhood and those days because there is some pretty grim stuff in there, and that’s why I’m so glad that I am able to smile,” Eddie said. 

For a portion of his adult life, Eddie lived in what he considers “darkness.”

“When I left the streets,” Eddie said, “I turned my life around and gave up all the things that was holding me down and making me sad.”

That change in Eddie’s life brought him a new perspective that helped him become who he is today. He said that he’s been happy ever since. 

Eddie landed his position three years ago while he was walking his grandson to school. One day as he was dropping his grandson off, he was asked to help the school out and be a crosswalk guard. Eddie told the supervisor that if he was going to take the job, he had to stay on the corner of 19th and Clark because he had no transportation. 

“I’ve been there ever since,” Eddie said. “It’s the only place I’ve ever been, actually.”

People in the neighborhood seem grateful to see Eddie on their drives to and from work as well. One time a woman dropped off a gift card for Eddie as a gift of thanks for brightening her day. He said that the woman had seen him the day before on her way home from work. She was a nurse and had lost a patient, so they sent her home early because she was emotional. On her way home, she passed Eddie.  

Eddie credits his positive attitude and happy-go-lucky spirit to his faith. He doesn’t go to church, but he said that everything happens through God. He even accredited his great attitude to God’s work in his life. 

“I know He’s there, and that’s all that matters,” Eddie said. “And with that, I wake up every morning, and I thank Him and I’m happy for it. He helps me through it — which puts a smile on my face — which in return, puts a smile on your face and a smile on back on mine.”