Thank God for porches. That place between inside and outside, between public and private, between your house and the street. In our neighborhood recently, we were able to come together in a way made possible only because we have porches. Inspired by the Italians singing on their balconies, we came out to sing, make music, make noise, and connect from a distance. We reaffirmed our community. We were still there for each other.
The critical social role of the simple porch has been highlighted by Covid-19. You can escape the confines of your house but don’t have to risk being out on the street. It is a refuge, a safe place to reconnect with those outside, as well as escape from extended close quarters with family.
Porches offer you choice, allowing you to connect to the degree you choose with those around you. You can safely wave to neighbors, have conversations with passersby, join in a neighborhood sing-along, dance, or just bury your nose in a book. In times like these, it is a welcome place to be. People are using them so much more now, in a variety of ways, even as outdoor exercise rooms.
Whether it’s balconies or porches, these in-between spaces are essential and too often they are omitted from homes. I’ve never felt comfortable in buildings that don’t offer this kind of transitional space, where there is an abrupt division between in and out, a black or white choice with no grey in-between. Porches offer us the freedom to choose where we want to be on the spectrum between inside and out, social or not. They create a soft edge, a kind of flexible connective tissue, that mediates between individual and community, and in these times, a safe way to maintain our social, mental and physical health. So Thank God for porches. Here in NC, it’s a lifesaving southern tradition that lives on!