Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
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Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
EP# 75: Creating a Cultural Sanctuary: Jesse Shelton's Vision Behind the Philosopher's House Tea Haven
What makes Jesse Shelton with The Philosopher House a good neighbor?
How does a humble upbringing in Appalachia lead to the creation of a unique cultural haven in downtown Johnson City? Jesse Shelton, the visionary behind the Philosopher's House, shares his inspiring journey with us. Alongside his wife Jessica, both with a rich history of teaching in Japan, Jesse has transformed their international experiences into a vibrant tea house that beckons locals and visitors alike. The Philosopher's House isn't just about sipping tea; it's a tapestry of cultural activities ranging from reading groups and language classes to musical sessions and cozy knitting gatherings. Step into this enchanting space, where every corner invites you to connect, explore, and indulge in multicultural education.
Join us as Jesse unfolds his passion for historical European martial arts and how it perfectly complements the serene yet dynamic atmosphere of the Philosopher's House. Discover how his experiences as a first-generation college student shaped his vision for a community space that welcomes all. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of creating a sanctuary in the heart of Johnson City, enriched with culture, education, and community spirit. Tune in, and be inspired by the unique offerings of this liberal arts tea house, along with delicious treats from the local Lazy Lady bakery. Jesse invites you to experience this remarkable place firsthand or learn more through their website and social media.
To learn more about The Philosopher House go to:
https://thephilosophershouse.org/
The Philosopher House
(423) 707-6313
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Monning.
Speaker 2:Well, hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a place to relax and explore new ideas? Maybe have a cup of tea. If so, one may be closer than you think. Ideas. Maybe have a cup of tea. If so, one may be closer than you think. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing your neighbor, mr Jesse Shelton of the Philosopher's House. Jesse, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3:Thank you very much. I appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 2:Glad to have you and I know I'm intrigued and I'm sure our listeners are just as excited to learn all about you and the Philosopher's House. So if you don't mind, just tell us a little bit about your business, all right?
Speaker 3:It's a very unique concept. So the Philosopher's House is a liberal arts tea house, which basically means it is a space where most of the public, when they first interact with us, they come in thinking tea, kind of like coffee shop vibes, although it's not a coffee shop, it's an actual tea house. So they come in for that. But then once they get inside they think oh, this is not at all like any of the other places around town because we have classes going on, everything from reading groups, organized events, just tons of stuff. So it's more like a community center that centers around multicultural education.
Speaker 2:Very cool and, like you said, very unique as well. Um, how did you get into this business?
Speaker 3:Well, uh, my wife Jessica and I used to live in Japan and during undergrad we did a lot of cultural studies, a lot of language studies. After we got out of university, traveled around same kind of thing. And it's always been in my mind I've always wanted to bring some multicultural education into the downtown Johnson City kind of space, into, like the downtown Johnson City kind of space, because we have ETSU in town, which is fantastic, but also having a community space that can serve, in a very small way, a similar function when it comes to multicultural education. And so that's where the idea sparked. And one day I was sitting on the front porch and drinking a cup of tea Actually, I was serving up some Gong Fu Cha, which is a Chinese way of preparing a tea, had an oolong and I was drinking.
Speaker 3:I was serving up some Gong Fu Cha, which is a Chinese way of preparing a tea. I had an oolong and I was drinking. I was like, wait a minute, why don't we make it a tea house? That's perfect, because there was nothing else like that in the region at the time. So that's what we did.
Speaker 2:Wow, Very cool. Now what Japan you were studying in Japan.
Speaker 3:We were both teachers. Jessica was teaching elementary school and I was teaching elementary and middle school.
Speaker 2:We were on Shikoku Island, which is the smallest of the four main islands in Japan. Wow, very interesting, very interesting. Yeah, what are and I don't know if there are any because it's such a unique business Are there any myths or misconceptions in the tea house, philosophers house you know I think you hit on it because it's such a unique space.
Speaker 3:I don't know if there are any myths or misconceptions, but maybe a lack of understanding of what we actually are. I think it'd be a better way of approaching the question, because it is so multifaceted. Until somebody physically comes into the space, it's hard to describe all that it actually encompasses. So somebody they may walk in and, for example, we have a new deck patio area outside and they go out there and there's music going on out there Okay. And then they out there and there's music going on out there Okay. And then they look inside and there's a knitting group by the fireplace and then there's our German language class is going on upstairs and people everywhere else seem to just be enjoying tea and reading books, and it's a. It's just a unique space that you really have to be able to come in to experience, to understand.
Speaker 2:Wow, well, I'm going to have to come in too. I think I would love to understand it more, particularly the music and the reading part. Yeah please do Very cool. So, jesse, outside of work, what do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:Oh, so many hobbies. I do historical European martial arts, which is basically sword fighting, what it runs down to British military saber primarily, so like 1890s-ish military fencing style. So I do that competitively with a group that's in town and we go around the Southeast to competitions and it's a good time. It's a nice way to relax. That's not work related at all wow.
Speaker 2:So there is a group in johnson city that uh does yeah, historical fencing.
Speaker 3:Surprisingly there actually is um, so yes, wow, that, that, yeah, that's interesting.
Speaker 2:That's even more interesting. Um, wow, well, let's switch gears. Um, can you describe a hardship or a life challenge that you overcame and how it made you stronger in the end?
Speaker 3:Well, ok, so we all have so many of these things that we deal with on a regular basis, but the first one that comes to mind is, like earlier on in my story. The first one that comes to mind is from, like earlier on in my story. So, growing up in Appalachia, low income parents did a great job of creating a secure home environment but very little money. And because Because of that, for example, when I wanted to go into undergrad I didn't know you had to apply to go to college, like nobody in my family had ever gone to college. So first generation college, that kind of thing, and so coming out of that environment and into early university For some reason put me into a position where I really wanted to grab a hold of it and get as much as I possibly could out of it, and I think that set me up very well early on. And then, of course, you know, life goes on. So in the 15 years since then, lots of little challenges, but that's the one that I think was probably the most formulative.
Speaker 2:Wow, Now are you originally from Johnson.
Speaker 3:City. I'm originally from Madison County, the other side of Flag Pond, other side of Irwin.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're in the backwoods area, very familiar, very familiar with that area, and unfortunately they got a lot of damage from the flooding. Yes, so a lot of prayers going out to those folks. Well, jesse, if you could think of one thing that you would like our listeners to remember about the Philosopher's House, what would that be?
Speaker 3:One thing to remember. Oh, okay, I think that when somebody first walks into the house, we'll say it's the second time there. I want them to open the door. They walk in shoulders, go down, they take a deep breath and they don't really. It's all subconscious, they don't realize it, because this is a calming, relaxing and space full of all these new ideas and all this stuff going on, but it's in a calming, like centered space. I want people to really experience that and, if that's something that they're looking for, to come into the space and see if it's a good fit.
Speaker 2:Very nice. Sounds incredible, actually. And how does it work? Is there a cost or a fee?
Speaker 3:membership. Yeah, so all of our classes and events most of them are donation based. So we do that. We sometimes have event fundraisers like concerts, things like that. Uh, sometimes we have classes that are one-off classes that can be art related. We have various, like right now we have Japanese, german, spanish language classes and accompanying culture clubs. So most of that is going to be donation based. Some of them do have class fees, but the tea sales operates like you would imagine you come in and you pay for whatever it is that you want off of the menu, and so that's basically how most people are. After the space, they'll come in, they'll get a cup of tea and then they'll go sit down with their book club, or they'll just sit down and read or they'll do whatever work from one of the rooms. We have lots of small rooms.
Speaker 2:Very cool. Now any uh scones or oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Baked goods from Lazy Lady, like most people in town, because they're so good. So yeah, we have baked goods. We also have some stuff we prepare on site, Not a lot like toasts, hummus plates, pimento cheese plates, those kinds of things.
Speaker 2:Things that you know, small bites that pair well with tea, but no actual meals that we serve. Don't want to get pizza all over the books. Yeah yeah yeah, lazy lady, I've interviewed, uh uh Marin and, uh yeah, she's amazing, great, great stuff. Well, uh, jesse, you don't know how much I appreciate you. Uh well, before we go, uh, how can uh? If our listeners want to learn more about the philosopher's house, how can they do that?
Speaker 3:The easiest way is going to probably go to our website, thephilosophershouseorg, and on there you'll see our class calendar, which is populated with all the stuff we have going on classes and events for the month. We also keep Instagram and Facebook updated regularly, and all of those are just the Philosopher's House, so you can find us pretty easily.
Speaker 2:Very cool. Yeah, I've been to your website and it's a great site and I've seen a lot of cool pictures and so I'm excited. Well, Jesse, again, I don't know how much you you don't know how much I appreciate you being on the show and appreciate what you're doing. I think it's unique and brings a lot of cultural opportunity to Johnson City. So thank you for doing that, Thank you for what you're doing.
Speaker 3:Thank you very much.
Speaker 2:Please keep going and we wish you and Jessica, your wife and the Philosopher's House all the best moving forward. Thank you, Skip, and hopefully we'll have you back on. The show Sounds great.
Speaker 3:Let's make it happen, all right, thanks so much.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnptry-citiescom. That's gnptry-citiescom, or call 423-719-5873.