Andy, Aunt Bea, Opie, and Ellie Mae were sitting on the porch enjoying the summer evening. Andy serenaded them on his guitar with a whimsy and eloquence all the same, creating a song on the fly about it being Opie's bedtime. As if this wasn't enough cozy to warm my sappy nostalgic heart, along came Barney strolling in the moonlight. Andy called out, "Barn, why don't you come on up here and sit a spell with us." Barney meandered up to the porch, and sat down right where he belonged.
I was gripped by sadness. I was actually fighting back tears. You see, something has been lost...
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FROM DAYS GONE BY...
LOST.
Community- true community- just seemed to happen naturally back then. Front porches facilitated an outlet for people to gather, celebrate, mourn, and just plain belong. When did we stop building porches on our houses? When did we decide it would be better to go inside than to connect with our neighbors- with our community? When did the heartfelt care and concern for those around us somehow become less of a priority? When did we stop being a place for others to belong?
The front porch was part of community culture all those years ago. My dad tells stories of sitting on the porch as a little boy, and knowing every single person in his neighborhood and most things about them. Everyone waved, everyone smiled, some climbed the steps, grabbed a chair, and sat for a "spell."
SOMETIMES, I WONDER IF I WAS BORN IN THE WRONG GENERATION.
SIGH...
Now, we are too consumed with the hustle and bustle of life. Our careers pressure us, and the drive to accomplish the American dream becomes the priority. Our kids seem to constantly need taxied from one place to the next. Activities outside our homes fill in the gaps. We are worn out and exhausted, and we unwind in front of the TV or computer screen.
WE HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT PORCHES.
In the days gone by, community seemed to be formed and built seamlessly and effortlessly. Now, building community takes intentionality, effort, and persistence. I want to be a place for people to belong, and I want to belong. I don't want to think of what is lost with sadness, I want to strive to build something new.
I am thankful for Andy Griffith, and the legacy he left. He has given us a picture of something worthy of recapturing... something to strive for and build... something beautiful to seek and find.
PERHAPS, IN OUR CURRENT GENERATION OUR "PORCHES" LOOK A BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY USED TO?
Perhaps my upside-down little blog is a porch of sorts? Please come. Pour yourself a glass of iced-tea and sit with me a "spell." I hope and pray you find the encouragement you seek, and may you always find grace and belonging here on the porch of my heart.
