Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Porch Night in Mayberry

I walked to the library early this evening to return some books and ended up checking out the new Joyce Carol Oates novel, Little Bird of Heaven. The purpose of my outing was simply to get a little exercise and return my books. But as I walked back home, I passed my daughter's house and her porch beckoned me to come sit and read a while. No one was home, but the house was unlocked -- this is Mayberry, remember -- so I went in, poured a glass of wine, took my new book to the front porch and inhaled the evening. I don't know how I got any reading done for the people watching I did: lovers strolled by on a date -- I could tell by the wallet on a chain that she carried and swung; a married couple out for a walk eating their ice cream cones; people walking dogs, families with skipping children, a developmentally challenged adult with the kindest companion to help walk the dog. The birds sang, the grass whispered. It was so peaceful, I couldn't think of anyplace I'd rather be.

Sarah's house is on a lopsided corner, one that isn't a 90-degree intersection, so people tend to cross at angles and meander more. It's a great location for that very reason. So many of the houses here have large front porches. In fact, DreamWorks recently knocked on Sarah's door inquiring if she would consider letting them use the house with its inviting porch for a movie in the works. There have been several walk-throughs of the site location team, but no decision yet. Several houses are being considered.

My sister, who had the best porch ever in Tulsa, used to refer to her time there as "front porch therapy." Not her therapy, but her as the therapist. Neighbors seemed to come out of nowhere and poured out their souls. Recently, fellow blogger, Cindy, wrote about her own porch.

I miss not having a porch, but as long as I have a porch of movie proportion about a mile away, who's to complain?

3 comments:

Teresa said...

Lack of porches in suburbia is one of the major ills with society, leading to a indifference and unconcern between neighbors. Heard about a book on NPR, where the author has a sleepover with each of his neighbors to learn about them, following a tragic event that left him realizing how little he knew about the people who lived so near to him (can't remember the title--drat). Enjoy Mayberry!!

Connie Dooley said...

The title of the book Teresa referenced is In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time

Diane said...

This is a delightful entry, Connie! You have a way with words like an artist with paint. Speaking of "big" words, Polyvore.com is a website where anyone can get a free account and create digital art. Check it out!