By Front porches soothe stress and foster community spirit
The following is the fourth in a series of Village Vignettes by Paul Monaco.
Living styles have evolved. For quite a while front porches gave way to the decks tacked onto the backs of houses. People retreated to seclusion in the rear. People seemed to cocoon themselves. But as I walk around the village today, I see a resurgence in love for all things porches.
Here we are, full swing into summer, deep into the hot, sometimes humid, sunny days of 2020. I would be remiss if I did not share my thoughts on those wonderful things called porches.
I must admit to y’all, my favorite summer pastime happens to be relaxing on my front porch. Yes, I know, modern day life is fast, stressful, often over-stimulated. Porches can be an antidote to such. A slowing down. A return to simpler, more satisfying times.
When I built my house in 1988, it was porchless. It wasn’t until embarking upon a major expansion several years later that my family and I decided to give it a front porch that stretches across the full width. We gave it character. We gave it an additional living space. We gave to it what has become my favorite “room.”
Living styles have evolved. For quite a while front porches gave way to the decks tacked onto the backs of houses. People retreated to seclusion in the rear. People seemed to cocoon themselves. But as I walk around the village today, I see a resurgence in love for all things porches. This year, with Covid-19 lingering on for what seems like an eternity, Ballstonians are staying put and tending more to their homes, including finishing repair work they may have delayed, growing life into their gardens, and embellishing their porches. I see porches adorned with stylish furniture, flowers, and hanging lights, but most importantly, I see families once again living life out on their porches.
Although there’s also a deck on the side/rear of my home, I rarely spend time on the deck anymore, other than to cook on my grill. I crave the less private nature of my front porch. Why? Because I join the village more when I’m on my front porch.
Porches provide an invitation to one’s house and, at the same time, they invite community spirit. How so? People walk or bicycle by, and I always say, “Hi, how’ya doing?!” Often folks will drive by and give me a wave when they see me on my porch, or give me a resounding, “Heyyyyy, Paulie!”. That makes me smile every time. My dog jumps for joy when I ask her if she wants to go on the porch. It’s village life.
Writing this, a vivid memory of a childhood next door neighbor floods in. His name was Babe and he spent his summers on his porch. Babe was of advanced age when I was in grade school, a retired train conductor. The aroma of his pipe wafted through the air, while the sounds of the August Saratoga horse racing calls typically emanated from his transistor radio. All the neighborhood kids visited Babe and his wife, Marion, to sit on their old-timey sofa glider that held a prominent position in the center of their porch.
One may ask: “What do you do on your porch?”. Well, for one thing, I’m creating this writing piece on my laptop while sitting on my porch! It is a great spot to kick back with your feet up and enjoy music — lately lots of jazz on my playlist (Miles Davis, George Gershwin, Tito Puente for some Latin jazz flair, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck.). It is a place to catch up on newspapers (the actual physical type), magazines and books. A cacophony of podcasts or the crack of a bat from a Yankee home run on the radio can often be heard from my porch. One can ponder projects, or plot out the coming week here. Fresh air can be breathed here for a respite from the frigid air conditioned type we inhale all too much. Family and friends can gather with you on the porch to reconnect. Breakfast, coffee, lemonade, sweet desserts and Cuba Libres sync naturally well with porch life.
Owing to our historically varied architecture, the Village of Ballston Spa is abundant with front porches, side porches and wrap-around porches. I hope you enjoy my pictures taken on strolls around town on these lazy days of summer. The next time you are on a walk of your own, be sure to wave to at least one Ballstonian who is on their porch. You will most certainly make their day. Life is short. Take five, folks.
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