Porch Sitting

Southerners are porch people. We are known for it.

Houzz.com

People sitting on a porch are often a stereotypical image you see on TV of Southerners.

You Tube

And you know what? We don’t care. We love our porches.

We sit and visit.

Pinterest

We sit and stare.

Harper Lee - telegraph.co.uk

We sit and nap.

Zach Flanders

We sit and rock.  (A rocker is essential, preferably a Brumby Rocker.)

http://myfavoriteandmybest.squarespace.com/

In the past, various activities were often accomplished on the porch – marriage proposals, political schemes, neighborhood negotiations, father-son talks, bets and speculation about football games, and gossip. Not to mention a little drinking.

  

In the more affluent neighborhoods, front porches were not only gathering areas for family and friends, but also status symbols and staging areas. People might never see the inside of your house, but they were guaranteed to see your front porch—so it was important that they saw intricate wicker or beautiful wrought iron and well-tended plants on the porch; not an old couch with the cat-scratched arms or the rusty patio cast-offs or (God forbid!) an appliance of some sort.

mycarolinakitchen

Pinterest

Houzz

 Even if you lived in a modest house and had modest means, you made sure your porch was as nice and tidy as it could be.  Nothing said “trash” like a poorly maintained porch.

Pinterest

I have a friend in Destin who lives in a high rise on the beach. But even this Southern soul cannot get way from a porch. She spends some time every morning and every evening on her balcony and post regular, beautiful photos of her view taken from her balcony.

justabeachkat.blogspot.com

 The South is changing – the buildings, the cities and even the people. Nevertheless, Southern culture has never been known to embrace change readily. Therefore, I am sure that porch sitting will remain a traditional Southern habit for a long time to come.