I've often been heard to say that I come from a long line of porch sitters. My parents can often be found on their back porch whiling away the hours listening to Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Credence, Patsy and Loretta; cleaning beans; reading; drinking coffee; or a million other things. Oftentimes when I am faced with an issue that is bothersome to me, I find myself wishing I was on the back porch. Many problems were solved on the Waltons porch and the porch at Andy Taylor's house in Mayberry. You know it is true!
I read an article once that, tongue-in-cheek, suggested that air conditioning was the downfall of our society as it took us all inside in the hot summer evenings after dinner rather than out onto the porches where we would actually interact with our family and also with the neighbors. It was an exaggerated piece, but the bottom line was really quite true. We knew our neighbors much better and we were friendlier in our neighborhoods when we all sat on our porches of an evening. It kept us in touch with one another and slowed the pace of our lives down enough that we got to know one another better than many of us tend to today. In a country song by Tracy Lawrence, the chorus says:
"If the world had a front porch like we did back then, we'd still have our problems but we'd all be friends.
Treating your neighbor like he's your next of kin, wouldn't be gone with the wind.
If the world had a front porch, like we did back then!"
This just feels true to me.
I was fortunate that my family valued time together when I was growing up. Porch sittin' was common. I can't count the times I sat with my grandma Anna on her front porch watching the evening go by in Collier, sitting on the glider, chatting about "stuff", eating ice cream from Reitters, sometimes watching the people coming and going from the Methodist Church across the street, waving as the kids rode by on their bikes. As a child I may have felt bored, but as an adult I looked forward to those times. We made a lot of great memories together on her porch. She's been gone almost 20 years and even today when the wind hits my face a certain way in the spring it takes me back for just the slightest second to her and I sitting on her porch. What a blessing that memory is to me! It never fails to bring a smile to my face. Even though the world has changed so much since those days, I really hope my kids are making those kinds of memories. When I visit my parents, nothing makes me happier than when I get up and come downstairs for my coffee and find my mom with my boys sitting on the back porch in the quiet morning with the birds chirping, snapping beans from the garden. Now that's a memory.
This has brought back many memories for me. My grandmother had a swing and my parents did too. While sitting with my grandma I can remember her always having treats for us. Remember the big bags of pop corn? The size of either 3 to 4 foot ones? We would watch the birds and talk long hours and then my Mom would go on the porch and yell for me to come in. I always wanted to stay with grandma because she always had the good stories to tell when she was young or she would tell me secrets we shared. She lived next door which was neat.
ReplyDeleteI grew up similar to you. In the country and on a hill we knew everyone. So it wasn't abnormal for either having someone over just to stop by and waving at someone leaving or coming. In the winter it was pretty harsh. So when one family would go to the store they would call each house to see if we needed anything. Spending time on the back porch was either both my parents or just myself sleeping, lol. I would sit reading, then watching the garden, wildlife and then falling asleep on the swing. I spent many hours doing homework or writing letters on the swing. Many cook outs and visits were spent on that swing.
My son was always with pap-paw or mam-maw on the swing. They would talk to him just as they did with me. Made me smile & laugh as well. My sister Janet, bought a swing for their back porch. I used to spend much time at her house growing up and into adulthood. Many hours were spent on her swing as we use to study the bible together. So many good times were spent on that swing.
We often talk about spending time on the porch and talking as I live in Reno, NV. & she is back home in Weirton, WV. She either say, I have a pot of coffee making and the cup, just need my little sister. I would answer back, I'm a coming over. So hopefully we will get to get back home this summer to swing on the porch.
Thanks so much for this message as it has brought back many memories.