The Best Time Is Porch Time

Apr 19, 2019

Porch time fits in any budget.

 

I'm all for investing in experiences.  I love to travel, and I think spending money and time to see how other people live and the great sights of the world is worthwhile.  But some of the best time is porch time, and that works within any budget.

 

 Have you ever spent a hot night on a deck, the bug spray and the fans barely keeping the mosquitoes off you, listening to Mississippi people tell stories?  Only positive Mississippi spoken here.

Have you ever spread out a blanket under the stars with someone you are newly dating, pretending to be interested in conversations on constellations while each of you were really thinking just of the hopes of a kiss?

Have you ever kept a friend company under the carport while she smokes and vents her frustration with her job, her boyfriend, and her family?

Have you ever watched the sun set over the lake, listening to the blue jays, cardinals and robins give way to the cicadas and the owls?

Have you noticed how the conversation always turns from superficial niceties to the deeper conversation about what really matters when the sun goes down and the lights stay low?  How staring at the water soothes people to the point where, when the chatter reaches a natural pause, even the extroverts can stand the silence for a beat or two?

Have you ever sat in a rocking chair on the front porch with your significant other, half hidden from the street by the ferns in hanging baskets, watching the neighbor across the street playing with their kids and thought to yourself, “this is what it's all about”?

Porch time is all about contentment. It's about gratitude.  It's all about taking a moment to truly appreciate what you have – the friends, the family, the porch, the Deep Woods Off – and investing in the relationships with family, friends, and loved ones.

That porch is more than a place to store your Amazon deliveries.  Wipe all the pollen and the dust off the chairs and spend a little time without the TV, without your iShiny, without the constant stress and distraction of modern living, and just enjoy the life you've created.  Right now, today, before you hit your goals, before you reach your dreams, take a moment to enjoy the journey by having a little porch time.