I'm Thankful (the newly-lit back porch edition)

So I just finished installing some pretty sweet lights on our back porch. Listening to an old R.E.M. album and staring at an empty blog post screen.  I know I gave myself permission to not feel obligated to blog as frequently, but I have this feeling that something's percolating.  For some reason I feel compelled to blog about what I'm thankful for, which is strange because I already did the same sort of thing a few Thanksgivings back.  But this will be different. 

I'm thankful for porches.  Even it it's on the back of the house and not on the front, like they used to be.  You ever notice that?  Check out homes built before the 50's - porches on the front.  That's because porches were the primary place of social interaction, long before phones and television and a little thing called Facebook.  You sat out there and talked to people as they walked by - or talked to people beside you and across the street as they sat on their front porches.  Around the 60's, though, in the midst of suburbia flight, porches found their way to the back of the home, and yards became fenced in, as privacy and solitude took precedence over chatting it up with the neighbors.  I guess I'm a front-porch guy at heart.  But I'm still thankful for porches of all kinds. And it helps if they have cool new lights.

I'm thankful that my youngest son loves sports.  I guess he really got into it a few months ago, for some reason, right around the NBA playoffs. I've never been a huge fan myself, but I do love talking sports.  Now, finally, I have someone to talk to.  Every day he'll wake up and want to check last night's score, and who scored how many points.  Just now, in fact, he came out on the porch to give me an update on the Heat-Celtics score.  It's 24-16 Heat, but by the time you read this it'll be something different.  And if you ask my youngest, he'll be happy to tell you what it is.

I'm thankful that my oldest son does what he loves doing.  This is his second year taking dance lessons, for example.  He had his dance recital last weekend.  They all did a great job, of course, but I couldn't help being biased about my son.  What can I say, I'm his father.  I think what impressed me most is that, out of a hundred kids or so, he was the only boy in the bunch.  The only one.  Friends, that takes guts that I sure didn't have when I was 9.

I'm thankful for my wife.  For one thing, she was the one who came up with the genius idea about the porch lights.  I still had to install them, but the idea had to come first.  She also made breakfast for dinner, which was pretty awesome.  She's also a phenomenal parent, especially with my crazy schedule and all.  Exceedingly patient.  I hope our boys realize one day what an exceptional mother they have in her.  I know I do.

I'm thankful for Words With Friends. Except when it's the end of the game and I get stuck with a "Q" or "Z" I can't use.  That stinks.

I'm thankful for good long runs.  Well, "long" is relative, I guess.  I'm not like those crazies that can knock out 15 miles on a lunch break.  I'm thankful that I can run what for me is a long way. 

I'm thankful for "Fall On Me" off R.E.M,'s "Life's Rich Pageant.  Phenomenal tune. 

I'm thankful for June evenings when it's past 9pm and there's still a faint light in the sky.  And then the sun rises before six in the morning. Long days are the best.

I'm thankful for people who, in their own special way, remind me of life's priorities, and what is most important, and how I tend to over-inflate the importance of things that are not.  And how they remind me of all of this without even trying.  You know people like that?  They're good to keep close at your side.

I'm thankful for cool summer evenings on my newly-lit back porch, eating a late dinner with my oldest son who just got home from "Seussical" practice, hearing yet another update on the Heat-Celtics game from my youngest son. Yep, life on the newly-lit porch is not bad.  Not bad at all.

Comments

[Porch Columns]

I know the feeling, I love front porches. Well probably because I grew up in a house with one in the front. Sad to say though that our porch columns are kind of deteriorating and needs major touch up. We might just do it soon, after we finalize our renovation ideas!