I’d love to change the world (but I don’t know what to do)

Craig Seaton

“Homelessness” should not be in the 21st Century lexicon of the wealthiest nation on Earth.

On my drive into Jacksonville this morning, I was grateful for many things: a beautiful day, a cooler-than-usual breeze, a family who loves me, a nice home, a hot cup of coffee in my drink holder – and light traffic on Roosevelt Boulevard.

My gratefulness then took a back seat while passing the Clara White Mission. It was about 7:30 a.m. and even though I’d been out of bed for two hours already, about 20 or more folks outside the Mission were just waking up.

What a contrast to my life! My sleep was peaceful, air-conditioned, soft-pillowed and took place in a quiet room that smelled of freshly-washed linen.

Theirs was most likely agitated, humid and hot, whatever-you-can-find-pillowed and their “bedroom” didn’t smell of freshly-washed anything. Sweat, excrement, urine, liquor, vomit, dirt - yes, but clean linen? Not a chance.

How did I find myself in a better place? I have no idea.

We all have our own opinions about homelessness, its causes and effects on society. It’s true many folks made bad choices that landed them on The Street. But more than you could imagine are there simply because they had no other option, or because life just dealt them a lousy deck.

The reasons then, that homelessness even exists in the wealthiest nation the world has ever known, must not merely be economic. If that were the case, certainly those of us who happen to have a few dollars could pool our resources and solve the “problem.” There’s no lack of money in the world. We have lots and lots of it. Lots…of…it.

If it were simply an issue of suitable housing for the city’s population, that’d be an easy fix as well. We drive by empty houses and buildings all the time. Surely some of these could be adequate shelter for someone whose only “roof over their head” comes complete with stars, rain, lightning, and that blazing Northeast Florida sun.

Is it mental health disease? Yes, sometimes, but not as much as you’d think. But even for those cases, we have some of the best medical minds in the world – many of whose offices are right here in Jacksonville. Surely doctors could just take a walk down Jefferson Street with a card table and a few chairs, set up shop, and let people talk through their emotional and mental challenges. It worked for Lucy in the Peanuts comic strip, didn’t it?

After my appointment downtown, as is my custom, forsaking the oh-so-fast-and-convenient-but-equally-unnerving-and-life-threatening Beltway, I took the scenic route back down into Clay County. Winding my way down Riverside Boulevard and then onto Ortega, I stopped off at Stinson Park, sat on a river-view park bench, and enjoyed my second cup of coffee.

The onshore breeze made it more enjoyable and, as is also my custom, I began to contemplate and wonder about life, its meaning, and the all-encompassing question, “How can I do something that will make it a better place?”

I quickly resolved I couldn’t fix the whole enchilada – too big of a task, too many people, too little time left before I take the Big Dirt Nap and leave all these timeless problems to the next generation of Stinson Park Bench Sitters.

I’d love to be able to leave you with some earth-shattering, world-changing lump of wisdom which would propel us forward, striving to realize those tenets to which The Preamble (on which this, wealthiest of nations was built), ascribes:

A more perfect Union…the general welfare…the Blessings of Liberty.

So, what shall we do? Do we leave it with a cool lyric from the chorus of that 1971 Ten Years After song? As an old hippie, I would answer with a resounding YES! But let’s just amend the wording a little and let it be our mantra:

“I’d love to change the world...so I’ll_________________.

Hey! I wrote the article. Fill-in your own blank.

Craig R. Seaton is a singer, songwriter and writer who lives in Orange Park.