A Front Porch Community

My grandmother is my hero. She shares more wisdom in a short story and a wink than I could learn in a lifetime.

During my last visit with her in Mississippi, I opened her door and glanced over my shoulder to say goodbye. I glimpsed her porch and noticed it was sagging, a few worn pine boards sloping gently. I casually commented, "Are you going to fix your porch? It's sagging."

She met my gaze, paused and firmly replied, "Of course not. That's where all my people have gathered."

I stood there like a beanpole, breathless and dumbfounded.

Like many Southern homes, my grandmother's house has a prominent porch whose presence plays a vital role in daily life. 

A front porch is the ultimate gathering place, a clearinghouse for celebration and a shelter from suffering. We gravitate to front porches because we can check our egos at the stairs and enter a welcoming place where everyone is equal under the eaves of a home.  

On the front porch, we interact face-to-face with folks from all walks of life. It's a threshold for real, human community where new connections are welcomed and old connections are strengthened. It's a place for all of us.

The front porch illustrates the hospitality we would show if only we weren’t so damn busy being busy. So, let's slow down a bit. Let's sit for a spell, sip some drinks and share some stories and show folks that the ShootQ & Pictage community is a front porch, not a fortress.

 

Comments

[Houston Home Security]

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