I like porches. I can’t imagine building a house without a porch. The perfect house would have a porch all the way around, on every side. But I’d settle for 3 sides out of 4.
Our house only has a modest porch on one side. We still love it, and spend as much time as possible there.
In our neighborhood there are many beautiful porches, all with beautiful views. Almost no one sits on them. I know this from random but persistently nosy observation. We walk the dog 2 or 3 times a day on the same streets, and, as just stated, I’m nosy. Almost no one ever sits on these amazing, beautiful porches. Most appear totally unused — empty spaces, created by perplexing other priorities, that could have been filled with mind-pleasing wasted time.
I see spirits of beauty and poetry, muses of insight and wisdom, and sometimes God, sitting alone on those empty porches. Walking by many of these empty porches, on gorgeous summer evenings, I see giant TV screens in the living rooms, with plenty of company.
When we were house hunting in our current neighborhood, my son sent us the listing for this house, calling it “Dad’s dream house”. Alas, no garage. We go by this house 3 times a day. No one ever uses the porches.
If those people were on their porches we could shake hands and say hi. They could pet my smelly dog (and politely wash their hands later). I could tell them I’m their neighbor, just down the street. We would know each other’s names.
What happened? Why are our porches empty?
A porch step is a good place to get to know your younger, or older, cousin.
I Am on the Porch 