¶ Spreading Kindness With Blessing Post
Well , hello there and welcome . You are listening to the Kindness Matters podcast and I am your host , mike Rathbun . What is this podcast all about ? It's about kindness .
It's a pushback against everything negative that we see in the news and on social media today , and it's a way to highlight people , organizations , that are simply striving to make their little corner of the world a little better place . If you want to join in on the conversation , feel free , Go ahead and follow us on all of your social media feeds .
We're on Facebook , instagram , tiktok . We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun . Check us out . We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun . Check us out . And , in the meantime , so sit back , relax , enjoy and we'll get into the Kindness Matters podcast . Hey , welcome to the show everybody .
I am so glad that you are giving me some of your time today to listen to this podcast and listen to this interview , and if there's anything in the podcast that you find inspirational or motivational or just anything positive , make sure to share it with your friends and family . I would really appreciate it , really appreciate it . So great show for you today .
If you remember the thrill of a handwritten note from a secret admirer , or you remember the warmth you felt when your mom would put a note in your lunch bag . You're going to like my guest today . In this day and age of digital communication , don Prisby has made it possible to exchange positive words of goodwill by hand .
He is the inventor of the Blessing Post , a literal post in his backyard , along a neighborhood path , where passerby can receive and leave personal notes of encouragement and blessing . Welcome to the show today , don . So nice to have you .
Mike , thank you . It's great to be here and what an exciting opportunity to share some good news .
Yeah , because we could all use some good news right about now . Right , absolutely , there is never not a time for good news . I think it's just yeah , I mean , people are stressed out and wondering what's going to happen and all that good stuff in the world , and we're here to tell you it's going to be okay . Absolutely . I absolutely love this story .
I'm going to name drop . I saw you on KSTP the story about your blessing post and I'm like I have got to talk to this man and find out what's going on Because again , in a world where sometimes it seems kind of dark , that was such a bright light , that story . So talk to me a little bit about why did you decide to do this ?
Sure , well , mike , the Blessing Post , as you know , is just . It's a post in my backyard , right along a path that goes by my house , and years ago , I was thinking you know , we live in this digital world where digital communication is the norm and it separates us .
And I was thinking , you know what about that time when we used to just share notes back and forth you know , as you said at the intro , that a Valentine's , or a secret admirer , or when your mom tucked that note in your lunch and I thought could we get back to that ?
And I thought I'll put a post in my backyard for a place for people to receive and leave notes of a positive goodwill . And that was back in May of 2018 , seven years ago now , and thousands of people have seen it and have received notes and left notes , and it's just been a wonderful social experiment , but something that's really transforming the neighborhood .
Yeah , for sure I could see how that would . Yeah , it is . It's so easy for us to just . I'm even to the point I think I'm getting as bad as the kids , to the point where I'm like don't call me , just text me . Or even something like a phone call is kind of going by the wayside these days .
Or don't you love it when you get a birthday text ? Oh , that makes me so . I feel so warm .
I get all the warm fuzzies . Yeah , I know , I get a text from my brother-in-law , and it's always Veterans Day . I get a text and thank you-in-law , and it's always Veterans Day . I get a text and thank you for your service .
Okay , and birthdays , yes , and yeah , it really is kind of a lost art sending notes or cards or what have you , because I'm sure and I don't remember , I don't know how many of my listeners will remember , but being and yes , you had to make us do it , but make it writing thank you cards when you got something for birthday or Christmas .
Oh , I got it right , grandma , thank you card or thank you note . But and as much as I hated being made to do that when I was a kid , I kind of miss it now it's a .
It's a lovely thing to receive a note . It really it . It it tells you that somebody sat down , took some time and actually hand wrote something . Um , it is a lost art and it's a lost experience . Today , the norm is to be efficient , to send texts or emails . Even signing up for church events , you sign up by their website .
We just keep getting further and further apart and it becomes a norm and we don't realize that . Yeah , for sure .
I spoke with a woman from I want to say she's in Plymouth , but that might be you , I don't know . She's out in that area . One Good Deed is the name of her nonprofit , and they do things all year round . But one of the things they do is they get together and they make cards , valentine cards for senior homes .
Oh , what a great idea , isn't that a great idea ? Yeah , but this is kind of like that , except it's just in one place . So when you first started it talk about , you had actual note notes , right .
Right , right , it made a transition . So from 2017 till COVID , we actually had notes . I printed notes . They were blank cards and we put them in the box . The first person left a message , then the next person coming down the block saw that and that took that message for themselves . And you know , we had the banker's pen with the chain .
So , they could take a blank note out and write a note and pin it back on . So receive one , leave one , and over that time I approximated about 500 exchanges of notes and that was just a wonderful experience . And then when COVID hit , you know , no one wanted to touch anything .
So I transformed it into a large chalkboard where on the top I could write a weekly message , and then on the bottom , right down to the grass , so the little kids could do it . And that's where the chalk box was . It was the area , the area for people to respond . So around the seasons , you know , at school opening , I'd say what's your favorite class ?
Or who's your favorite teacher , what's your favorite school ? Or at Halloween , what's your favorite candy ? Or or on election day , who are you voting for ? No , I didn't do that . But Christmas time white Christmas or not , you know question mark and people would say yes or no . And then in the spring , things like Valentine's Day how many hearts can we draw ?
And kids would be out there just drawing hearts with chalk . One other one in the summertime is how many smiley faces can we leave Nice ?
So it just gets people of all ages involved and as you walk down the path you can see the message at a distance , so you have time to think about it and then get there and there's a path leading up to it , so there's a sense of welcoming and then you can respond and it's just a wonderful way to reach out to the neighborhood and look at it .
Over time , mike , I based it on like 20 visits a week , or 20 sites a week , you know , fewer in the winter but much more in the summer . That's 47 000 people , 47 000 views of the blessing post over its seven years of existence my goodness and and 47 000 lives made better .
I would say , let's hope . Yeah , I mean , you know , know who could not pass by that ? And even if they didn't participate , you know , they see that how many smiles can we draw ? That's got to be uplifting or , you know , make you feel warm , like that note from your mom in your lunch bag .
You see that , and maybe you don't have time or maybe you're in a hurry or what have you , and you don't have time to throw a smiley face up there , but you leave that place feeling a little bit better about the day , I would imagine .
It's really infectious how people get involved with it . And here's what's happening , mike , like in the wintertime . There is a guy who lives up at the cul-de-sac . He mows the neighborhood path and he snowblows a path right to the blessing post , so he's taking care of it that way . Oh , wow .
So you've got the whole neighborhood involved care of it that way .
Oh wow , so you got the whole neighborhood involved . Yeah , one day a young family came by with their stroller and a little girl brought up a box of chalk and said Mr Prisby , here's a box of chalk from our family . And that was just so . It made my heart happy .
And then one other time a church youth group had nominated the Blessing Post as one of the ways that we make the world better and they gave me a Target gift card which I went and I purchased chalk for it More chalk . So it's just wonderful how it inspires people to just do positive things .
Yeah , because kindness is like that right , you do a one kind act and it ripples out endlessly really to so many other people and so many other things .
Yeah , Jim , just like your podcast . I'm sure it's getting all kinds of adulations for spreading just good words .
And you know that was part of the reason I started it . You know you don't have to look too far to find bad news , right , and I wanted to be a place where somebody could come to feel a little lighter , if only for 30 minutes .
Yes .
And maybe be inspired . Have you ever , have people ever said to you Mr Prisby , can I do one ? I mean , do you know of others ?
out there I don't know of others and at one time , Mike , I thought this would be such an easy thing to expand and we could put them all over the world , but as things went by I just there was something nice about it being just an organic thought that there's just one blessing post and it's in my backyard in Plymouth , Minnesota , and it's just taking care of
the neighbors . I do have a blessing , a website's theblessingpostorg . Okay , so if people wanted to go and see that , they certainly could .
We will absolutely have a link to it in the show notes . Yeah , I was thinking along the lines of like a little free library .
You know those sprouted up all over the place .
Yes , I would love to see something like this in every single neighborhood , wouldn't it be fun ?
And also I could see these in long-term care facilities where people are kind of in a community . There could be one in the lobby where kind notes could be shared by the residents , or , you know , in a college dormitory as a means to unite the students as they come in . There's all kinds of ways to do it . And I mean , as you saw that it was on KSTP .
You know it's just recently got some other news . It was in a magazine called Minnesota Catholic in their recent edition , and a couple of years ago it was in Plymouth magazine . So people have learned about it and you know , if they wanted to do it , I would encourage them to do it . It's very simple thing to do .
Yeah , and it's I . Just , I absolutely love every aspect of this thing because you're touching people and you're making somebody's day a little brighter , and really that's all we can . I mean , if we can do that every day , right , because I think deep down we're all kind of called to be a light in somebody else's life .
Yeah , I think we have an inherent call to goodness . And yet , you know , we get into the pace of digital communications and into the pace of our remote workplaces and into the pace of long work hours and , all of a sudden , the norm is no longer a friendly smile and a kind word . The norm is look , I'll text you when I can .
Yeah , yeah .
And I might see you if I can .
Right , exactly . So where does the blessing post go from here ? Does it get bigger ? Do you anticipate it changing at all ?
I think I it's been . It's been here for seven years . I have had friends on both coasts of the country . I have a friend in Canada who said that she was interested in putting one up on a path by her yard . So maybe it's going to be the Blessing Post International , Canada and the US . But I don't know . I would have to put some energy into that .
I do know that it probably needs another coat of paint , so I'll be doing that in the spring and I'm also going to plant a Blessing Post garden , a garden around it , Because it's really powerful to watch young families or older folks out on walks . They come and they stop and look at it .
I also want to create an environment where they can just rest and just have a time to pause and just reflect on their day , and if the Blessing Post has a garden with it , that might be a way to enhance that experience .
¶ Building a Blessing Post Community
Yeah , for sure , maybe a bench .
Yeah , a bench ?
yeah , Would that , and do you get into trouble ? The city doesn't have a problem with it or anything .
Well , what I did was I checked with the city and I knew there was an eight-foot easement on the path next to my property , so I made sure I measured in so it was actually in my yard , not on the easement .
And the other thing I did and for anyone who's going to do a blessing post , check with the electrical companies and the utilities , because I called them and they came out and they sprayed my yard to where the underground wires and pipes were , because when I put the post in , you know I needed about three feet of a spike to go in and then the blessing post
sits on that . So I checked with the utilities and then I made sure that the city wouldn't be protesting , that I was on the easement , so it is in my yard . So that was . Those were just considerations to be aware of .
Oh for sure , yeah , always check before you dig .
Check before you dig . That sounds good . Well , here's another thing , mike . Because I am a marketer , I paid to have a logo designed and then all the cards and all the signage I had professionally done . Just because you know branding and logos or you know , when you're a marketer you kind of appreciate those things .
So it has a definitive look and feel to it .
I did not even notice that . When I was looking at your website , I did not notice that . Oh , I'm sorry . Yeah , I didn't notice the logo .
Oh , for heaven's sakes , maybe it's there's a logo on the front of it , and then I have a large like two-by-three sign out there with the logo on it , designed by a local guy who's very talented , and I was just delighted that he was part of that .
Oh , I'm sure . And all of these people that get involved with the Blessing Post , from the little girl who brought chalk to the guy who snowblows the path to the guy who did your logo , I mean , they were all . They saw something positive in being involved in your project , right ?
Again , it's so alluring . People respond to kindness , just as you know , Mike , with your web , you know with your podcast . People want to express kindness and if we give them the opportunity to do that , they will .
One time I was away for a while and I didn't get out on that one Sunday to create a new sign , a new message , and I went out there to do that and somebody else in the neighborhood had taken that role . Oh really , they put a new sign up .
And then and then another time it had snowed and I walked out there and a couple of people had made snow angels in around the blessing post and it was just so endearing to see that .
So when it's not spring and you don't have flowers , you have snow angels no angels , let's let's hope that continues yeah , well , it's going to this weekend , I think oh , it is . That's what I've heard , Well you don't hear it in . Minnesota . Yeah , I know right , I can't tell it could be anything .
Anything .
Shoot . I had another question in my head and I forgot it .
No worries .
For you ? No , it truly is it truly is .
It's fun . I mean , I put it in a place where I can look out my kitchen window and see it and see people stopping and interacting with it . Now here's an interesting fact . You'd think it would be a risk to put something out in a public area where people are going to interact with it .
No , would it be damaged , would there be graffiti put on it , would people write something that was vulgar or out of , in poor taste ? And in the seven years that it's been out there , not once has that happened .
That's incredible . That's incredible . That's incredible because , yeah , I mean , as I don't know , I don't want to say it's human nature , but maybe , as far as kids are concerned , for example I'm sure you have plenty of teens in the neighborhood it's almost like too tempting to not do something .
I have never done this myself , but you know what people do to mailboxes and whatnot . Oh yeah , yeah .
And yet I think they sent something so good in the post that they wouldn't dare . It does well . It could be that it could be that um one other element of it . So at night it does .
It is illuminated because I have a solar light on the top I was going to ask about that so you , all times of the day , you can see it , and I'm not saying that scares away the ruffians , but people have just been very kind and gentle with it and it's there . I haven't touched it for seven years . It's just steadily planted in the ground .
I have a rock step path that goes up to it and I've got the beginnings of a garden around it which will be expanded this year , and it should just continue to go on and on and on .
Maybe we call it the blessing garden post . Yeah , I don't know . No , the post is the main thing , so yeah , yeah Well , everyone sees the double entendre there .
right , it's a post , but you also post .
Oh , I did not catch that because I'm not very bright .
No .
No , that's fantastic . No , that's fantastic . And , Don , I really , really , really appreciate the time that you've taken today to come up and chat with me . I absolutely love everything about the Blessing Post and folks . If you're ever out in the Plymouth area and you want to stop by and take a look at it , I'm sure Don would love to have you .
Not that I'm going to send a lot of people to your house , Don .
Well , it's on the path that connects Yellowstone Lane from Cottage Grove Court . Oh , okay , implement In the neighborhood of Saddlebrook .
Maybe I'll sneak out there and I'll do something silly like put balloons on it or something .
Perfect , you are most welcome . Well , thanks for having me .
You're so , so welcome . I appreciate you and I appreciate what you're doing and you're making the world a better place , sir .
Step by step , mike , let's do that . All right , it's a deal . All right , better place , sir .
Step by step , mike , let's do that .
All right , it's a deal . All right , be well , sir . Thanks for your time .
All right , bye-bye . I want to thank you for taking this time to listen to this episode with my guest , don Prisby . I hope that you are able to take something positive from the time you spent here . Maybe you'll be inspired , maybe you'll be motivated to put a blessing post up in your neighborhood , maybe you'll be moved .
If you experienced any of those positive feelings , please consider sharing this podcast with your friends and family . I'm always striving to offer you a better podcast , so give me some feedback . Let me know how you think I'm doing .
You can email me , leave a message on my socials it would mean the world to me and also feel free to follow us on our socials like Facebook , instagram , linkedin , tiktok , you name it .
¶ Podcast Network Showcase
This podcast is part of the Mayday Media Network .
If you have an idea for a podcast and need some production assistance , or if you have a podcast and are looking for a supportive network to join , check out maydaymedianetworkcom and check out the many different shows , like Afrocentric Spoil , my Movie Generation Mixtape In a Pickle Radio Show , wake Up and Dream with D Anthony Palin , staxo , pax and the Time Pals .
We'll be back again next week with a new episode and we would be honored if you would join us . You've been listening to the Kindness Matters Podcast . I am your host , mike Rathbun . Have a fantastic week .