As the cameras invited us into the small southern town of Bishopville, South Carolina, it reminded me of many a town I drove through in route to somewhere special. I would have driven right through this town and never thought twice about it. Now, thanks to “A Man Named Pearl”, I have learned that within the most ordinary of places, extraordinary beauty can exist.

Pearl Fryar is no ordinary man. A father, a husband, a hard-worker, dedicated, patient and God loving man. All of those words can be used to describe him. But as of the early 80’s, his artistic and inspirational spirit emerged for the world to see. There are people in the world who ooze positive energy. Their smiles are constant, their energy is light and their message is inspiring. Pearl is one of these men. His wife of 38 years always knew he had potential…and she was right!

The son of a sharecropper, Pearl knew how to work the land. Farming wasn’t easy. Working the land was labor intensive, but watching your work grow can be truly inspiring. I am a firm believer that what you put out into the world, will come back to you. For Pearl his journey filled with positive energy started as a result of discrimination. When he was looking for a home for his family, the nice neighborhood he considered had reservations. They were concerned he wouldn’t maintain his yard. When I heard this it reminded me of my mother. As a single mom in the 80’s she went to rent a home and the owners had the same concern…who would do the yard being that there was no man of the house. Proudly my mother replied, “the same person who did it every day when I was married, ME”. It has always amazed me the stereotypes people pin others down with. With their prejudices, it was hard for them to believe a black man had the ability to be on their same level let alone their same street. I would like to say that prejudice is far and in between, but the truth is that it exists. My mother raised me to believe that your body is a shell for your soul…just like a turtle or snail. The color of it is insignificant. The soul has no color. Maybe someday people will begin to get this. It isn’t a complex concept, but for some reason people continue to embed the prejudices through little words or what they believe are harmless comments. I highly doubt any other person in that neighborhood was asked about their gardening skills prior to buying a home.

However, there is a lesson in everything. Pearl Fryar taught the city of Bishopville far more than horticultural skills…he reminded them of love, peace and goodwill towards others. He ended up buying a home on a different street, but was determined to have an incredible yard. He showed them! His first goal was to get the “Yard of the Month” award from the Iris Garden Club. This desire to have a beautiful yard started his journey. With no formal training other than a 3 minute demo at a nursery, he simply stated “I’m writing my book”. When people told him it wasn’t possible, he made it happen. He may have listened to the advice and rules about planting and nurturing his garden, but in the end he was doing his own thing. He wanted to create a space where people can walk through and be moved…to feel something. His garden became a place of love and to many people, it was a place of God.

“I want people to leave with that message…Life is about choices, about love and peace, and if you accomplish them in that order, life is going to be good.” – Pearl Fryar

When you put good positive things out into the world….good things are drawn to you. Although his father only had a third grade education, Pearl was taught to be a respectful man who was destined to be someone. “He would always say I want you to be somebody. I did” And through his garden, he found his passion. He reminded us all that you can be somebody without becoming the President. All you need to do is make a difference, provide for family and be positive because “nothing ever comes out of negative thinking.”

Working a full time job, he still managed to tend to his 3 acres of land. Finding him on a ladder in the middle of the night with a chainsaw wasn’t uncommon. What I really love is that he doesn’t use pesticides or chemicals. Everything is maintained with love and it shows. Ending his day as pleasant as he began it, it was clear Pearl was living a full life. Some even called him the “plant whisperer”.

“When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world”- George Washington Carver

In an instant, things began to change. In 1997, Polly Laffitte, a curator, invited Pearl to be part of an exhibit focusing on self-taught artists.. However it wasn’t really possible for him to bring his art there so she commissioned him to create a garden at the exhibit at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. Looking to make a statement, he donated a 20 foot piece to the museum. Not only did this opportunity bring Pearl’s work into the spotlight, but it also forged a friendship between him and Polly. Accustomed to the discrimination in his small town, he believed it was all possible because she was from a different generation and recognized his gift. He told her, “Y’all gave me more recognition with that than I had gotten in my community before that”. Polly was wise enough to recognize the artist within. She shared how he approached his work with “the eye of a sculptor, with the mind of one and there’s still that element of his heart in there.” Sometimes people don’t always recognize the beauty in our own backyard. But in no time, Pearl put Bishopville on the map and everyone took notice.

Now a well-known topiary artist, an inspiration to the young children in his community, a teacher to those looking to reach beyond their dreams and even a muse to his neighbors for adding a little beauty into their own lives…Pearl has made a difference. The town has benefited from his works. Buses now pull through town with his home as their destination. Wanting to extend the beauty, in 2005 Bishopville began “Streetscape” in hopes of bringing more people into their quaint town. With this project, they were placing similar topiaries along the streets to catch the eye of those coming through…in hopes that they may stop for a moment to take it all in.

Many of us search for our passion and only hope to be able to cultivate it as well as Pearl. Taking the time to recognize what you love isn’t always easy, but it is worth it. What do you get lost in for hours? I am not talking about online backgammon or surfing the net. We all get caught in the web. Instead look for something that when you finally put it down, you still feel energized and want to share it with others. I can only imagine as Pearl stands out in the middle of the night watching his garden…the pride, the love and positivity he puts into each cut. I wish our world was full of Pearls….and he is always welcome in my neighborhood. I would be so lucky.

Take the time to head over to Pearl’s website to see more photos of his garden.

Here was the trailer for A Man Named Pearl – Enjoy!