Within Streetlight, Jesse Curtis leaves a unique mark as a beloved member of our family. As Jesse turns 31 and enters his next phase of adulthood, we pause to reflect on the valuable lessons he has to share.
Jesse met Streetlight back in 2010 when he moved from North Carolina to Florida. He considers himself a Florida boy through and through, connected to the childhood memories he’s imprinted throughout the state. Jesse’s early upbringing comprised active years spent playing travel basketball, attending church, learning how to grow food, fixing cars with his grandfather, and honing his love and skill for playing music. Jesse started handling instruments at the age of three, and then began taking professional lessons by age six. His music inspiration comes from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and he can play guitar, piano, drums, and the trumpet, regularly performing at his church. Jesse attributes his growth to several mentors: His mother, late father, grandparents, coaches, and pastors who lead his faith community. Jesse’s value system is rooted in living a balanced life where relationships are the utmost investment. “You are not going to be here forever,” he says, and in the end, amassing possessions is nothing compared to growing a rich community of love.
Jesse learned at a young age that sickle cell made him different. No matter how hard he trained in basketball, he would struggle to find the breath needed to run as fast as the other kids. As he continued to go into pain crises from the physical strain of playing at a high level, he asked himself, “is this hurting or getting better?” acknowledging that pushing himself past a certain level would land him in the hospital. He remembers adolescence as a time of coming to terms with his future, reconciling that he would not be able to pursue a professional basketball career, or join the military. Adolescence was also a time when Jesse met Streetlight. He remembers the joy of going to Teen Lounge, the chance to get out of his room, meet other people, and have fun forgetting about his pain while playing games. Fourteen years later, Jesse reflects on how important those opportunities were for him in his youth.
Jesse is grateful for the relationships he has made within Streetlight over time. His advice to Streetlight members would be to “keep an open mind.” Interacting with many different people in the healthcare field, Jesse can tell that the most effective people are those who are dedicated to their reason for serving, showing their passion for what they desire to do, rather than those who may just be there to pass the time. He also says that sometimes patients may want to talk, but that outside of the hospital it is normal to just be in presence with a friend; there is space to simply coexist in a room as well. As a friend, Jesse says, “I want people to say that I’m a safe space.” Before forming an opinion of someone’s situation, he stops himself in his head before it even leaves his lips. He says that rather than assert his advice, he is honest with someone when he is not sure what they need, saying “I feel what you are going through. I may not know what that is like or what you need right now, so tell me what I can do.” Anyone who knows Jesse knows that he is an honest and grounded source of authenticity.
As Jesse looks to the future, he holds goals of creating a family of his own, traveling to New York City to check out the music scene, and buying a home. He accepts that “things happen when they are supposed to happen,” and uses the time he has to help those around him. Streetlight will be forever better for the conversations Jesse has shared with us. He leaves an unparalleled impact on us all, and we look forward to what his next chapter has in store for him!
