Reflections From The Porch


My great-grandparents lived in Old East Dallas in a small house with a big porch. It was wide and long enough to accommodate several people with lawn chairs and a large porch swing. After lunch on Sundays the adults would sit on the porch and yak. When no one was around I would sit and swing for long periods of time enjoying the breeze and listening to the birds.

My great-grandparents lived in Old East Dallas in a small house with a big porch. It was wide and long enough to accommodate several people with lawn chairs and a large porch swing. After lunch on Sundays the adults would sit on the porch and yak. When no one was around I would sit and swing for long periods of time enjoying the breeze and listening to the birds.

I was reminded this week of how much I enjoyed simply sitting in that swing when I saw this photo forwarded to me by my brother (the baby in my mother's arms who grew up to stand five inches taller than me). This is the Lewis family circa Easter 1969.





I've often wondered why houses aren't built with porches like this any more? The companion question is - if you are lucky enough to have porch with enough real estate for a chair or two then why don't you sit outside and enjoy it?

I have a decent-size porch that could accommodate a small-sized swing (I have a wrought-iron bench on it now), but it never crosses my mind to spend time sitting on my porch. If I saw my neighbor sitting on his/her porch doing nothing I'd think they were a weirdo. I can only assume they would think the same of me! So what has made porch-sitting a weirdo's only activity?

1. We're creatures of comfort. I seem to recall that my great-grandparent's house did not have any air conditioning, no central air, no window unit, only an attic fan. It was much more comfortable to sit outside than inside.

2. There's no multi-tasking on a swing. When I was nine it seemed I had a lifetime to sit and enjoy doing nothing. I don't sit and enjoy a cup of coffee without reading the news, talking on the phone, paying bills, reading a book, or working. Moments of solitude where the moment such as swinging completely occupies my time is rare, possibly non-existent.

3. The backyard is the place to be. It's probably much nicer to sit around the pool rather than on the front porch. Although I question how many people who have a pool really sit around it and enjoy it (maybe only in August). The backyard may be the place to be, but not at my house. I have a crazy dog and patch of weedy grass.

Yes, I think I'm waxing nostalgic just like my mother did when she shared these family photographs with my brother this week. But it would be nice to take a break from the non-stop pace of life and sit, swing, enjoy the outdoors even if the temperature isn't perfect. I can't afford a pool so I think it's time to shop for a swing. The lawn chair sitting next to the front door in that 1969 photo has made a come back in recent years, maybe I can start a porch-sitting trend.

Posted: Sat - February 26, 2005 at 08:50 AM          

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