WEBVTT - KRISTIN SCHELL: "A Seat At The Table"

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<v Speaker 1>The book The Turquoise Table by Kristin Schell is our

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<v Speaker 1>podcast sponsor.

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<v Speaker 2>Kristin, desperate for a way.

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<v Speaker 1>To slow down and connect, put an ordinary picnic table

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<v Speaker 1>in the front yard, painted at turquoise, and began inviting

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<v Speaker 1>friends and neighbors to join.

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<v Speaker 2>Her.

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<v Speaker 1>Life changed in her community, and it can change in

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<v Speaker 1>yours too. Alongside personal and heartwarming stories, you'll read about

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<v Speaker 1>some stress free ideas for kickstarting your own turquoise table,

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<v Speaker 1>simple recipes to take outside and share with others, stories

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<v Speaker 1>from people using turquoise tables in their neighborhoods. You'll find

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<v Speaker 1>The Turquoise Table on sale everywhere books are sold.

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<v Speaker 3>Hi, Delilah, it's Kristin Shell.

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<v Speaker 2>Hi Kristin, how are you.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm excited to be talking to you. Thank you so much.

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<v Speaker 1>You're welcome so much. I'm excited be talking to you

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<v Speaker 1>and to share the concept and the hope of the

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<v Speaker 1>Turquoise Table with all of my listeners.

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<v Speaker 3>Wow, thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>You know it's funny.

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<v Speaker 1>As I heard about your book and then delved into

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<v Speaker 1>it a little bit, I thought, oh my gosh, this

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<v Speaker 1>is what I tried to do on the radio every night,

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<v Speaker 1>in a very tangible, real anyone can do this get

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<v Speaker 1>to know your neighbor's sort of way.

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<v Speaker 2>You've taken such.

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<v Speaker 1>A beautiful thing and made it so simple for everyone

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<v Speaker 1>to reach out in love.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, absolutely, I think we might be kindreds in that way,

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<v Speaker 3>and I certainly have learned a lot from you.

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<v Speaker 1>So tell me about your personal turquoise table and what

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<v Speaker 1>led you to decide to do that and put it

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<v Speaker 1>out in the yard.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's been almost four years since I put an

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<v Speaker 3>ordinary picnic table in my front yard, painted it turculi,

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<v Speaker 3>in the hopes of getting to know my neighbors and

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<v Speaker 3>building community, you know, kind of right where we live.

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<v Speaker 3>But that story, which is always way more interesting, is

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<v Speaker 3>really kind of the fascinating part of it, the and

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<v Speaker 3>the journey of it. And so when I was in

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<v Speaker 3>middle school and I was I ended up going to

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<v Speaker 3>I was beat up in my middle school years. And

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<v Speaker 3>we all know seventh and eighth grade is not a

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<v Speaker 3>ton of fun anyway, and so when you get beat up,

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<v Speaker 3>it's just it's not a good thing. And so my

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<v Speaker 3>parents took me out of the school that I was

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<v Speaker 3>in and sent me to just a neighborhood you know,

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<v Speaker 3>parochial school, just a Christian school in our neighborhood. But

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<v Speaker 3>that particular school had a different set of rules for

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<v Speaker 3>chapel services and for taking communion, and so since I

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<v Speaker 3>wasn't the same denomination, I wasn't allowed to have communion.

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<v Speaker 3>And so, you know, looking back now, you know it

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<v Speaker 3>was I was not invited to that table, and it hurt.

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<v Speaker 3>It was awful, you know, being in that awkward you know,

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<v Speaker 3>kind of preteen and teenage early years. It wasn't it

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<v Speaker 3>wasn't a lot of fun. And so ever since then,

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<v Speaker 3>there's been this just this like desire to belong and

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<v Speaker 3>to be included, not only for myself, but then to

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<v Speaker 3>notice people who maybe don't belong or won't have a

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<v Speaker 3>seat of the table and welcome them. And so the

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<v Speaker 3>story ends up, you know, really really good. I made

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<v Speaker 3>my way back to church and to God, and you know,

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<v Speaker 3>as my relationship and space we're growing in my walk

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<v Speaker 3>with the Lord was growing, I took that table idea

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<v Speaker 3>and one it took place where all people could be welcome,

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<v Speaker 3>but I didn't know how.

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<v Speaker 2>To do it. So what inspired you?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, I get the backstory, but what made you

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<v Speaker 1>think one day I'm just going to put a picnic

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<v Speaker 1>table in my front yard and see who'll come and

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<v Speaker 1>sit down with me.

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<v Speaker 3>Well that's pretty much what I did. It was almost

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<v Speaker 3>like a dare you know. And it was I was

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<v Speaker 3>having a party with a friend and we needed a

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<v Speaker 3>really inexpensive table or two for this for this party,

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<v Speaker 3>and so I ordered an ordinary, you know, picnic table,

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<v Speaker 3>and you know, you can visualize the exact one. It's

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<v Speaker 3>the most you know, normal picnic table out there. And

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<v Speaker 3>so I had it delivered and they're heavy. Picnic tables

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<v Speaker 3>are heavy, wooden ones are and so the delivery guys

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<v Speaker 3>left it in our front yard kind of right near

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<v Speaker 3>the edge of the street. And then they came to

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<v Speaker 3>get me to ask where do you want this picnic table?

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<v Speaker 3>And when I saw it, oh my goodness, Alilah, it

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<v Speaker 3>was like this aha moment. It was this moment of

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<v Speaker 3>you know, maybe it belongs right there. I am going

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<v Speaker 3>to leave it right there. And I know that sounds crazy,

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<v Speaker 3>but I did. You would, of course put it in

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<v Speaker 3>the backyard for the party. But that next week we

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<v Speaker 3>painted at turquoise because it's my favorite color, and we

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<v Speaker 3>put it right back out in the front yard. And

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<v Speaker 3>so the idea and the concept, you know, it was

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<v Speaker 3>just a hypothesis at the time, was Okay, what if

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<v Speaker 3>what if we take our backyard activities are you know,

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<v Speaker 3>things were doing normally, you know, eating dinner, doing homework,

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<v Speaker 3>having you know, lemonade stance. What if we were to

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<v Speaker 3>do all of these things at this table and invite

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<v Speaker 3>others to join us?

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<v Speaker 1>And what did what did your neighbors think when you

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<v Speaker 1>first went and knocked on the door and said, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>we're having hot dogs out in the front yard instead

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<v Speaker 1>of hiding away in the backyard, want to come and

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<v Speaker 1>join us?

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<v Speaker 3>And that's exactly what we did for the very first day.

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<v Speaker 3>Though before I had the courage because this is a

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<v Speaker 3>little you know, this is this could be kind of crazy, right,

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, a turquoise technic table in the front yard.

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<v Speaker 3>So before and then hindsight, I probably should have asked,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, permission and not forgiveness. But I didn't go

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<v Speaker 3>around the very first day and say, hey, guys, I'm

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<v Speaker 3>putting a table in the front yard. I actually put

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<v Speaker 3>the table in the front yard and went outside and

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<v Speaker 3>sat there, and that day I met a neighbor and

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<v Speaker 3>a woman who I had never even seen at the

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<v Speaker 3>grocery store, the post office. I've never even seen her

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<v Speaker 3>drive by, and she was walking in the neighborhood and

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<v Speaker 3>she stopped and we started a conversation immediately, and you know,

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<v Speaker 3>thirty minutes later we're sitting at the table having a

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<v Speaker 3>great conversation and Susan, you know, who I never would

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<v Speaker 3>have met, are most likely would never have met, and

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<v Speaker 3>I now you know, we're friends. And so that's how

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<v Speaker 3>it started at my table. It was very spontaneous and

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<v Speaker 3>really quite frankly in all honesty, not very well thought through.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I just but it was real.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't you don't think through real when something happens

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<v Speaker 1>that's real, you don't think it's through. You know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>not a planned thing. It's not a purposeful thing. It's

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<v Speaker 1>like when somebody takes a great snapshot of their kid

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<v Speaker 1>playing in the sprinkler.

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<v Speaker 2>It's real.

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<v Speaker 1>Then you see somebody who's posed and hired lighting and

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<v Speaker 1>a featigeographer.

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<v Speaker 3>That's not real, right, right, So this was trust me,

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<v Speaker 3>it's real, and it still was very real at the table.

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<v Speaker 3>So that was my you know, just first encounter. But

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<v Speaker 3>you know what it was to it was such encouragement

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<v Speaker 3>that you know that that here you did within five

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<v Speaker 3>minutes of meeting somewhere that it was time to maybe

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<v Speaker 3>take the next step and do it again. And so

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<v Speaker 3>I did this the very next day, and the kids

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<v Speaker 3>and I went out and had dinner. I mean, I

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<v Speaker 3>don't even remember what it was, but I guarantee it

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<v Speaker 3>was on paper plates, and it was whatever we were

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<v Speaker 3>going to be eating any anyway. And so we tried dinner,

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<v Speaker 3>and you know, he waved at people messing and miraculous,

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<v Speaker 3>are out of the ordinary happened that night? Except we

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<v Speaker 3>got come stable and so we enjoyed being out there.

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<v Speaker 3>And then I invited a couple of neighbors to time

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<v Speaker 3>have coffee. Then you know, it simple and very spontaneous. Hey,

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<v Speaker 3>tomorrow morning, you want to come sit at the turf

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<v Speaker 3>place table. And that's when you know they were like,

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<v Speaker 3>what is this? What are you doing? What's the idea

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<v Speaker 3>behind it? And I just shared my heart. There wasn't

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<v Speaker 3>a plan. There wasn't I just said, Hey, what if

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<v Speaker 3>what if we were used to use This is a

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<v Speaker 3>really you know, simple gathering place for all of us

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<v Speaker 3>to come to the table, and there's no rules, there's

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<v Speaker 3>there's no plan. Let's just try it out.

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<v Speaker 2>And now it's become a thing. It's become like a

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<v Speaker 2>movement across the country.

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<v Speaker 3>It's that crazy. It's a thing, Delilah.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a thing.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a thing, and it doesn't even have to be

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<v Speaker 1>a turquoise thing.

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<v Speaker 3>It doesn't even have to be a turquoise thing. In fact,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, really the rally cry now is to live

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<v Speaker 3>as front yard people. And you know, whether that's at

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<v Speaker 3>a turquoise table or out on that tiers or a

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<v Speaker 3>front porch swing or whatever works in your neighborhood and

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<v Speaker 3>your community. It's just about, you know, living more accessibly

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<v Speaker 3>and in community with one another.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's so funny because that's a buzzword. That's

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<v Speaker 1>such a phrase. Now you hear it pastors from the pulp,

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<v Speaker 1>but you hear it from graduation podiums, you hear it

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<v Speaker 1>in you know those online videos you can go watch

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<v Speaker 1>where you get all pumped up. Everybody talks about community.

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<v Speaker 1>And yet I live in a community. I live like

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<v Speaker 1>in a village. I've got family and friends that live

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<v Speaker 1>on my property and kids, and I take in other kids,

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<v Speaker 1>and we have foster kids and stray kids. And people

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<v Speaker 1>say to me, that's so weird.

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<v Speaker 2>Why do you do that?

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<v Speaker 1>Because I believe God created us to live in community.

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<v Speaker 1>Well yeah, but that that's weird that you have people

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<v Speaker 1>sleeping on your floor they don't have a place to live, right,

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<v Speaker 1>So I believe in community.

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<v Speaker 2>Well that's just weird.

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<v Speaker 1>Right.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, you know, and I live in Austin, where you know,

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<v Speaker 3>our city motto is, you know, keep Austen weird. So

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<v Speaker 3>maybe I had an edge up by putting a you know,

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<v Speaker 3>turquoise technic table in my front yard. But you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it's not, of course weird.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not weird.

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<v Speaker 1>It's what our parents and our grandparents and our great

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<v Speaker 1>grandparents do. It's what people in developing nations how they live.

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<v Speaker 1>It's what God intended is for is to be a

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<v Speaker 1>part of a family, a village, a community of hearts connecting.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not weird. It's no good. It's it's wonderful, I know.

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<v Speaker 3>So what's weird is that we were not doing it intuitively.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, if we want to talk about weird, you

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<v Speaker 3>know when my husband and I laugh, now that you

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<v Speaker 3>know that, I get to talk about trying to create community,

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<v Speaker 3>which is I mean, it's the oldest thing. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>it's the oldest thing. Ever, it's there's nothing new about it.

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<v Speaker 3>We just need a reminder because there's so many distractions

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<v Speaker 3>and we're pulled in so many different ways via social media.

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<v Speaker 3>Are just schedule rules or just this this crazy you know,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, frazzled lifestyle. That the table has just come

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<v Speaker 3>to serve as a talisman and a reminder that there's more,

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<v Speaker 3>you know that we meet, You know that there are

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<v Speaker 3>such you know, beauty and richness when you slow down,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, and unplug and just enjoy really the simplicity of.

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<v Speaker 1>Of you know, connecting hard to heart. Yeah, of loving

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<v Speaker 1>people in a very real way. Yes, I appreciate you.

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<v Speaker 1>I appreciate your your story. I appreciate that you're helping

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<v Speaker 1>people across the country to come out to the front yard,

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<v Speaker 1>come out to the front porch and love with all

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<v Speaker 1>their heart. You keep doing that in your book and

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<v Speaker 1>your travels and you're speaking Christen, I'll keep doing it

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<v Speaker 1>on the radio.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you, Thank you so much, Thank.

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<v Speaker 2>You, God bless you.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks by Delilah

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<v Speaker 2>Hotewn and Ers Mad with you, Lilan