Last week, after a long overseas trip, my friend Logan returned home to find a curious note in her mailbox. The anonymously typed message, shorter than a tweet, read:
Please move the picnic table from front yard to back, PLEASE clean up yard, IT COULD BE VERY PRETTY>
When Logan first told me about the anonymous letter, I was appalled. This is a first for The Turquoise Table community. There are countless turquoise tables in 27 states and 3 countries. . . but this is the first opposition.
My shock turned to sadness. I’m sad because the letter was anonymous. Which means my friend Logan — who, although she lives in South Carolina, has a heart bigger than Texas — can’t reach out to this neighbor and invite him or her over for some of her outrageous hospitality.
You see, Logan and her big ole heart, would have explained the reason for the bright picnic table in her front yard. She would have shared that The Turquoise Table is a place for neighbors — all of them — to gather and get to know one another. That in our crazy, busy lives this front yard table is a place for people to slow down and sit down and connect.
Logan would sit down face-to-face with that stranger, offer a glass of lemonade and every last bite of goodness in her pantry. And, she would listen. Because that’s how she rolls. Now, that neighbor might not change his/her mind on whether or not he fancied a turquoise picnic table {maybe USC garnet would be better?} but I feel certain hearts would be softened on both sides of the table.
Because that’s what happens when you have real conversations — even hard ones, especially hard ones — at the table. Instead of anonymous tweets delivered by snail mail, you work out differences face to face.
Here’s the deal. We can’t change the fact that Logan got delivered sour lemons. But, we can help make sweet lemonade out of this situation. Because that’s what Front Yard People do. They rally!
Logan and I are GIVING AWAY a Turquoise Table. Because, as Logan says, “Life isn’t meant to be lived anonymously. Life is better when we share it with other people.”
Head over to Logan’s to enter the GIVEAWAY.
But first tell me, shout out in the comments below, how would you use The Turquoise Table to cultivate community in your neighborhood.
Writing from Kansas City, Mo. I’ve seen the posts my old friend Melissa Duchess has been posting about her new Turquoise Table and wondered what all the hoopla was about. 😉 Now I know and absolutely love the idea. What’s lacking in today’s society is a real sense of community, sure we have Facebook and other social media to keep us connected but are we really connecting? I don’t think so! I smile and waive at my neighbors. I know all the names of the 6 children that live across the street from watching them play as I do my nightly dishes but I know nothing more than they’re a seemingly nice family. Ive tried lingering in the yard to make small talk but no one seems to want to “talk” anymore. Can I blame them? Some days I don’t want to either. Sometimes even “somedays” turn into most days. I wonder though if we took the time to really connect on a personal level again if our burdens would be lifted or at least not seem so heavy because of the support we’d receive and give? The Turquoise Table is a great idea. Maybe someday I’ll have my own and open the door for others to share their stories and realize the ones that I keep so closely guarded shouldn’t have been kept at all but shared so others going through the tall grass of life will realize that all you need is a neighbor with an ear to hear you ask to borrow the lawn mower 🙂
Tracy, YES! To everything you’ve said. We live in the most connected era in all of history — the digital age, but statistics show we are lonelier than ever. We live busy, full lives — but little or no margins built in to truly connect with the people right in front of us. {sometimes that includes our family!} I hope you’ll find encouragement in our Front Yard People community and my fingers are crossed you’ll be sitting at a turquoise table in your neighborhood soon!
This struck a chord with me! Thank you for writing!! And I need to get myself a table.
Kara, You are welcome. And, yes you do! 😉 Keep me posted — I’d love to hear your Front Yard People stories. xo
Because after 8 years, we still don’t know many of the neighbors with kids our daughter’s age because we aren’t at the local school!! This would be perfect on our cul de sac to create a gathering spot!
Julie — YES! That was our situation too. So many of the families knew each other because of school. You know how much I want you to do this, right? We may go back the furthest in our community, my grade school friend! Let’s just not mention dates and ages. 🙂
I didn’t know about Turquoise Tables but now I do. I haven’t noticed any in my neighborhood but there will be one in my front yard as soon as I can either build one or buy one and paint it.
Bobbie — I’m so glad you found us. And, excited to hear stories from your turquoise table! xo, Kristin
I want a turquoise table to make friends in our new neighborhood. We moved across town to eliminate a terrible commute. The yards are larger and the homes further apart. The neighborhood is split into two different school districts so it isn’t easy to get to know each other through children. I miss my ‘front porch’ community we left. A turquoise table would be a clear welcome beacon that we wanted to create and nurture community here.
Kristin — someone wrote about the turquoise table being the new “front porch”. We all long for those days of hanging out with neighbors, or at least I did, and since we don’t really have a front porch I tried the picnic table. Guess others feel the same way we do! Let me know when you get that table out front! 🙂
We have lived in this neighborhood, that happens to be separated by acreage, for over 18 years. No one ever stops in. We can go for months without seeing a neighbor, especially in the winter. No one sees anyone! It is sad! Having a turquoise table in the front of my property might just get people to stop and linger while walking their dogs. I have often thought of how could w get to know our neighbors better and I think this just might work out beautifully. Want to give it a go!
I would watch our neighborhood kids gather and explore. I would visit with neighbors who would slow down at the stop sign across from my front yard, and say “hey” as they rolled their windows down to say “hey” back. It makes me so sad that people use my street as a cut through, and are always in such a hurry to rush into their garages, close the door, and walk away from a chance to connect.
PLEASE Please Pretty pretty please… develop a 1/2 page flyer. and or a 1/4 page postcard invite. (I will likely do one myself for my own neighborhood -attempting to explain your turquoise table/front yard people philosophy, to my own neighborhood when I put my table out in the near future. But I bet you could do it better. (IF your friend Logan had done that… and sent invites around the neighborhood – that sourpuss neighbor would have already understood and felt included.) Share the love. The ones who are holed up inside feeling left out – they’re the ones who need it the most. (and therefore we need it even more up here in the northeast.) The talkative, friendly, southern hospitality people, they’ve likely already just come and asked…
I live in a small town with front porches, but as is in this era, people are busy and don’t get together as they use to. My yard is small and I’ve been considering putting my porch swing in the front yard. So even though it’s not a table, I think I’ll paint it turquoise and set it out there, and offer the same hospitality. What do you think?
Linda, I think you are already Front Yard People! I love the idea of painting your porch swing turquoise. Send me a photo! And, I’ll send well wishes for conversations with new neighbors and friends on your front porch. xo