Paul Bass Photo
Mercedes Jackson parked her Nissan Altima Coupe in the going-out-of-business Whalley EbLens parking lot Tuesday to enjoy a “7.2” breakfast and catch a few private minutes before “hitting my first client.
The breakfast came from McDonald’s.
“It was a 7.2 out of ten. That’s a high rating!” Jackson said during a conversation on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” program. “7.2 exactly. It was maple oatmeal. Maple is awesome. I didn’t have to add any sweetener. Perfect.”
Jackson, a 31-year-old certified addiction counselor, visits people for hours at a time in her role as a social worker for a local agency. Her clients wrestle with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression. “I try to brighten their day, whatever they need. If they want to hang out, go for a walk, encourage them to do better each day. Meet them where they’re at. Make it personal. Understand how they’re feeling.”
Call her a professional friend: Babz Rawls-Ivy did, and Jackson said the phrase fits.
Jackson said she learned her skills from her grandmother Barbara, who raised her in New Haven. “She taught me how to be kind, wise, respectful. She’s from the South. So we’ve got to show respect.”
Jackson on Tuesday was wearing a sweatshirt and Crocs she had previously purchased from EbLens.
After visiting with her clients, Jackson planned to return to the EbLens lot — and pop in to the 7,800 square-foot store, which like the 17 other Connecticut outlets of the urban streetwear and footwear is closing for good this summer after an eight-year run at Whalley and Dwight.
Jackson wasn’t sure what she would buy.
“I’ll go in and look for some hats. They have so many sales right now. You can walk out with so many items for $100.”
“I’m shocked that they’re closing, honestly,” she said. “They have awesome sales. Good service.”
What rating would she give the store?
“An 8,” she said. At least.
Click on the video to watch the full conversation with Mercedes Jackson on theWord on the Street segment of WNHH FM’sLoveBabz LoveTalk program.
Click here and see below for otherWord on the Street episodes.
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