Front Porches


If you watch the news, you can�t help but be concerned over the troubles that America faces today: increase of violent crimes, the disintegration of the family, and the deterioration of moral values, just to name a few. Countless hours and resources have been spent to fix the woes of America but have failed. However, it seems to me that the solution to our problems is a simple one�porches. Yes, porches.

I�m not talking about just any ole porch, nor am I talking about a deck. I�m speaking of those grand front porches that houses used to have years ago. Remember them? They had huge wooden floors, big enough to hold the whole family and a few guests. Usually a wooden railing surrounded the porch and there were three or four steps leading from the porch to the front yard. They had roofs that kept the rain and the rays of the noonday sun at bay. For sure, the ruination of society began when we started building houses without those stately front porches.

When houses sported front porches, there was no need for people to schedule a special night of the week for the family to spend time together. The porch had a mystical way of drawing family to it. On a warm evening, you could find Grandma swaying back and forth in her rocker. Sitting in the glider would be momma and daddy, and fussing with each other on the front porch swing would be two or three kids. Seated on a bench or stretched out on the floor, the rest of the clan joined in on an old fashioned sing-along, while someone played a guitar or a harmonica.

Sometimes everyone gathered on the front porch just to talk. Older adults would tell stories of the �old days� while the younger ones listened intently, hanging on every word.

The front porch was a place where people listened to each other. It was where Mothers and their children discussed the trials of life, usually while they shelled peas, shucked corn, or snapped green beans. Many a youth found answers to their troubles on the old front porch.

The front porch was magical; it had a way of slowing time. People relaxed, meditated, and enjoyed one another�s company on that revered place. Yes, while one was perched on the front porch the stresses of life fluttered away on the wings of a zephyr.

Romance, too, blossomed there. Young adolescents sat in the swing, holding hands, talking of love, life, and the concerns of youth. Meanwhile, Mamma or Daddy lingered inside the house, peaking through windows; making sure love�s lessons didn�t go too far. Moreover, many a young boy went home frustrated at the end of a date because the girl�s parents left the porch light on to guard against goodnight kisses.

A daughter arriving home late from courting could expect to be embarrassed by her father, who would be standing on the front porch in his robe, arms folded, and a scowl upon his face. Many times a young couple�s relationship ended right there.

Manners, too, were taught on that front porch of long ago. Parents told their children to say hello to neighbors walking by. The neighbors answered back with a kind word or a smile and a wave.

Children learned to be patient and wait their turns for their portion of dessert when family and friends gathered on the porch to make homemade ice cream. They also learned to be good sports while playing board games or jacks and the like on the grand ole porch.

Yes, the front porch played a prominent role in maintaining the fabric of society, and if we have any chance of solving society�s woes, we must get back to building those magnificent front porches of yesteryear.

Now, is there anyone who will let me borrow a front porch for a few hours? Neighbors have dropped by and we�re just itching to make homemade ice cream and hold a sing-along. Oh yeah, do you also have an ice-cream maker and a guitar we could use?

Doug Bagley lives in Orlando and is a freelance writer