A Chance Encounter with the Gullah Man

The Gullah Man walked up to my family and handed me this rose.

On a recent trip to Savannah, my family was taking a break from the oppressive heat, in the shade of Forsyth Park. I was walking around and snapping photos of the famous fountain, while my hubby and kids found a bench. Just as I went to join them, a man approached us and asked us where we were from.

Honestly, we were a little hesitant to talk to him. I mean, who was this guy? Was he going to ask us for money or try to rob us?  He introduced himself as the “Ambassador of Love” and told us that the college kids in town had named him the Gullah-Man. He told us to check him out on You Tube. He handed me and my daughter a flower each and told us that each one was made of a single piece of grass. (like a reed) He told us to have a nice visit and walked away.

After he left, I marveled at the artistry. It truly was amazing. The delicate twists and turns made a beautiful, perfect rose. I did check him out on You Tube when I got home and I have to say I’m really embarrassed that I didn’t take the time to really visit with him.

He calls himself an edu-tainer and teaches a little bit about the Gullah culture. The Gullah people are the descendants of the freed slaves from the South Carolina Lowcountry and the Savannah area. Because they were relatively remote from the rest of the South, they have kept a lot of the African culture, from food, to crafts to story telling and language.

In his story, he tells of a boy who wants to become a master at making flowers. His family tells him to become a master, you have to use your hands, ears and mind. They tell him he can dream, but he must practice too and pray because all gifts come from God. As he tells the story, his eyes are closed the entire time and when he is done, he produces the perfect rose.

What amazing advice. Notice, he doesn’t say to use your mouth. We tend to talk way too much; when we really should be listening. He says to dream, but we have to practice. Isn’t that the truth? How can we ever make our dreams come true if we don’t work towards accomplishing them?

Then he says to pray because all gifts come from God. I mean, this guy gives the most beautiful sermon in four minutes flat.

He ends by saying that he is the Gullah Man and he is fighting the War on Terrorism by showing that we are living, laughing and loving in America. We are not living in terror.

There is another clip where he says that he is spreading love and showing that God exists and he goes out everyday and receives blessings from all of the people he meets.

I kept the two roses that he gave me. I placed them on my desk where I can see them when I sit down to write. I feel blessed to have them. They are a reminder to me that God gives us many dreams. They remind me that every single person has the opportunity to make a difference every single day, in their own unique way, and that is a beautiful thing. What will you do today to make a small difference in the world around you? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂