Whatever Happened To Sitting Out

Recollections after dinner: When evening came how the neighbors gathered, on the front porches and all the kids rode bicycles and screamed, "Look Ma, no hands!" The reply was always a soft voice, "Dear be careful" The dads were on one side of the porch and the moms on the other. Talks of what had happened that day were ongoing, combined with what was going to happen. Halloween, Christmas, Vacation, schools out and mom relieved of packing the daily brown bag lunches. It was a time when favorite recipes were discussed and who would host the next backyard cook out of hamburgers, hot dogs and bring a dish. Dads talked of their next fishing trip and how the big one always got away. The subject of college never came up. No one had a TV and the radio drifted through the screen doors allowing the music to softly flow out onto the blissful porch. Miss Jenny was always late getting to the porch due to her arthritis which was the biggest health problem, unless you fell down and broke your leg but that was reserved for kids. Everyone had an old oak tree in the yard as it made things cooler. Window fans were prominent because they drew the air out from underneath the tree into the house. Whatever happened to sitting out? I miss it ....