Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Extra Chairs in the Driveway

In Fargo, North Dakota, Prakash Mathew and his wife Jane had a beautiful garden people would often stop to admire. They made a point of writing down their visitors’ names and would greet each by name the next time. Over time, they provided extra chairs and invited people to sit and chat, and a different kind of garden emerged. “When we went for our walks, we could hardly walk two blocks without stopping and talking to someone.” Jane died suddenly in December of last year. When summer came, Prakash continued to go to the driveway, and people still joined him. He asked, “What if we did this — sat in my driveway, but intentionally, every other week, with a topic?” Everybody loved it. Driveway Dialogues was born. A neighborhood spirit had been planted, “with a garden, a few extra chairs in front of the house, and a curiosity to care for others.”

Be The Change

Plant a seed of respect and dignity for your neighbors. As Prakash says, “Maybe that’s where it starts: with a chair or two set out where people can see you, and nobody walking by without a hello.”