One of my favorite childhood memories is spending summer evenings on the front porch swing with my Mummum and Pappap. After dinner, Pappap would grab his radio, turn on the Pirates game, and head out to the porch. Once all the dishes were done, Mummum would join him on the swing. I don’t know how long they actually sat on the porch, but to a very young me it sure seemed like it was all night.
I have vivid memories of running downstairs after my bath, in my white silk nightgown, and climbing up on the swing. We’d watch the birds, the traffic, the lightning bugs. Sometimes we’d sing songs, other nights we‘d just sit in silence. Some nights I’d curl up on the glider and try my best not to fall asleep. I hated those dreaded words, “it’s bedtime.” The front porch was THE place to be, and even as I young child I never wanted to miss out on anything.
It makes me so sad when I see beautiful new houses being built without a front porch. I comment as we drive past…”It’s a shame they don’t have a porch.” Truthfully, I believe the world needs more front porch sitting. Families used to gather together, talk about their day, or spend hours reminiscing together. Now it seems like we all just grab our respective electronic devices and settle in for an evening of mindlessly surfing the web on various social media platforms. Teenage boys are locked in their rooms playing video games. Teenage girls are trying to create the perfect Snapchat or TicToc post. Geriatric millennials are scrolling through Facebook and commenting on the posts of people they haven’t actually spoke to since high school. Grandma and Grandpa, often not yet retired, fall asleep in front of the television just trying to make it through a complete episode of Blue Bloods. Young children are entertaining themselves playing games on their iPads or watching Netflix. We are multiple generations of people who are losing personal connections.
I’m writing this from the comfort of my front porch. I’ve been sitting in this chair for over an hour, watching the birds and the squirrels, and remembering so many nights shared on this porch with family and friends. I miss those nights. I long for more of them. I crave the conversations, the laughter, and the love. Come join me on the porch sometime. Let’s get back to spending time together.
Confessions of a Forty Year Old Nobody 