My father had a great affinity for front porches. In his opinion, if there was a tear in the fabric of society, the lack of proper front porches had something to do with it. He would also lay blame on the garage door opener. I think I might agree with him on both counts.
Dad grew up in a time when people witnessed their neighbors coming and going from the rocking chairs and steps of their front porch. Today’s front porches are, relatively speaking, nonexistent. The small cement slab at the front door of modern homes doesn’t allow for much more than a potted plant and a small one at that. And it seems families spend more time in front of their televisions than speaking with each other and even less time in face to face conversations with the families on their street.
My father’s view was that people today tend to arrive home, drive into their garage, close the door with a remote control and spend the remainder of their time inside or perhaps in their fenced-in backyard. Rarely do we find our neighbors in their front yards. And my father was as guilty of this as the next person. He spent most of his time and finances making the backyard attractive and inviting for our family. Of course, our backyard was adjacent to the local golf course where our friends and neighbors would arrive at regular intervals on their way around.
Not being located on a golf course, I have made a point of spending time with my dogs and kids in our front yard. We do our chores, wash our car, greet walkers and kids riding their bikes, play and interact with neighbors as much as possible. It has made our life richer. The street seems more connected and we now help take care of each other’s yards, dogs and children. Our relationships are stronger with those neighbors who have in turn begun to spend time with us. Our dogs know and like to visit with our neighbors. They bark less and seem less anxious.
Front porches and intentional time spent in the front yard have something in common with a structure that has all but disappeared from most backyards - the treehouse. The treehouse might just be the childhood version of the front porch. Like the porches of old, the treehouse is a way to see and reach out to other kids over the backyard fence. From a treehouse a child may see beyond their yard and beyond their street, into their greater surroundings.
Recently I helped a neighbor build a rather grand treehouse. The construction project has been fun and the results are pretty fantastic. He and I have talked and planned and enjoyed our time working on the project. I've heard my neighbor's kids greet me with a “Hi Travis” when I am in our backyard. This is only because they can see me and we can interact. Without the treehouse they wouldn't know I was there and there might not be any interaction.
The backyard without a treehouse is like a small porch without a rocking chair; if you don’t see your neighbor you can't interact. Without interaction you can't develop the relationship. Without a relationship you drive your car into the garage and spend your time watching television or sitting by yourself on your backyard patio.
One thing my dad was fortunate to have when he relocated after retirement - a gate connecting his neighbor’s backyard with his. It was a small gate in the hedge, but every night one of the couples would yell across the hedge announcing their entrance. The response would always be “come on over”. A friendship developed that endured the entire time they lived next to one another.
If I could change one thing in today’s neighborhoods, I would wish for everyone to have the large front porch my father grew up with. I would also encourage kids to build treehouses. Who knows, I might just put a gate in my fence while my neighbor is away on vacation.