I’m a HUGE fan of HGTV. I secretly want to be an interior designer, but that’s another blog post for another day — and probably another blog. Any whooooo…
I had the pleasure of luxuriating while watching a special program on HGTV Sunday evening called, “A Man Named Pearl“. Essentially, it is the story of Pearl Fryar, a man who has done extraordinary things with his property in one of the poorest, and by the county’s inhabitant’s own admission, still noticably segregated, counties in South Carolina.
They call Mr. Fryar “The Plant Whisperer” and when you see how he single-handedly manages the absolutely massive amounts of topiaries and other flora on his property (which he calls a garden), you’ll see why. If you can catch the program, I highly recommend it. From square trees to hopeful messages etched in greenery, his handiwork is nothing short of amazing. Most people have a gree thumb, it is clear that Mr. Fryar has a green soul.
People come from all over to see his creations on which he works tirelessly and enthusiastically. And, when I say, all over, I mean all over. Bus loads of people visit quite often. You don’t need an appointment and there is no cost to view the bucolic splendor (although there is a donation box, should you be so inclined).
Many stories about Black people who come from the southern part of America, whether true or not, begin with, “He/she was the son/daughter of sharecroppers…” In this instance, however, it is true. Mr. Fryar is the son of sharecroppers. And, defies every sterotype that exists about Black men:
- he’s been married to the same woman for 38 years;
- he’s highly creative and intelligent;
- he’s one of the hardest-working people I’ve seen in a minute;
- he’s sober, well-spoken, generous and honest;
- he clearly cares about the well-being of others;
- he cares about the planet (he doesn’t use any chemicals in his garden);
- it is obvious that he cherishes his wife and she loves him;
- I could go on….
What I found very interesting was about 45 minutes into the program, a group of older white women came to visit and while all the other groups of visitors on camera were focused on his craftsmanship, these women were clearly more interested in Mr. Fryar’s “manship”; as evidenced by their repeated comments about his physique (no doubt the results of the sheer physical labor that it takes to maintain his property) that they admittedly “noticed right away”. I guess some things never change.
