Owner of Big Baby Trucking, Inc.

“I came to Jacksonville to attend Edward Waters University. I graduated 2006, and I’ve been here ever since.

I play Bit Whist. It’s a card game similar to spades. And a buddy of mine told me they play it down in the Park. He introduced me to the guys about six years ago. They play cards, dominoes, and chess so it’s like a game room outside. The guys start around 10 or 11 o’clock and play till about 3 o’clock. As long as it’s not raining they gonna show up and play.

You get bragging rights when you win. We call five wins the glove, ’cause, you know, five fingers. So, yeah, I got a glove today. I got a glove.

The game is addicting because you have to figure out a maze. And when you get to the end of the maze, and you figure it out, it’s like, oh, man, I got to do it again.

I have a commercial trucking company. You know, I book loads, and my team of drivers pick them up. So I’m able to kind of do it mobile. I might get a call, and I’m able to leave, and come right back. This location works out for me.

You know, you can come, sit in the sun, hear the birds chirping, see the squirrels running around. That’s a good day. Sometimes people have a negative look at the Park, but it’s really down to earth people out here. And then you have people that work around the area come through, stop and chitchat. Even Mayor Deegan, she’ll come through here, and she’ll holler at the fellows and the people, so… really nice atmosphere. You just got to get to know the people.

My wife wants to move to Chicago, and I tell her, ‘No way.’”

Photos by Toni Smailagic