I have two distinct memories of the first time we saw the house we now live in. Maria and I had spent the day looking at some houses we didn’t really like before we headed to the final house on our tour.

I will never forget how I felt when I saw an entire wall of built-in bookshelves in the living room. Both of us love books, and that feature really stood out. We have taken advantage of that space over the years.

But the other thing I remember hit me as soon as we got out of the car. The house had a huge porch shaded by two big trees.

Jackpot.

I say that like I have spent hours upon hours sitting out there since the day we moved in. That’s not really true. I really haven’t taken advantage of the porch over the years for a number of reasons.

That has changed recently. We got new chairs for the porch last year since the old wicker ones had grown pretty uncomfortable. I relax in style these days.

Now I sit out there and wonder what I have missed over all these years. I know I had a lot of fun inside the house doing whatever I was doing, but the porch brings a different perspective to everything.

We don’t have a very big yard so sometimes I envy those who have huge patches of grass they can enjoy. Of course that means someone has to take care of all that grass, and that’s something I’m just not willing to do.

My new commitment to reading has played a part in all of this. I find it much easier to read outside when I don’t have a television or computer distracting me.

Since we have had a pretty mild summer, I can fill plenty of my free time with a cup of coffee or bottle of beer with my nose inside a book. Fifty to a hundred pages can disappear pretty quickly when there’s a nice breeze.

But my enjoyment of the porch goes beyond charging through the pile of books on my night stand. I enjoy seeing the cars go by, chatting with people walking down the street or just listening to the sounds of living in a small town.

The few times I do take my computer outside, I find myself relating mundane observations with friends I am chatting with. They probably don’t care what kind of car drove by or what I heard from around the corner, but it’s fun to share those experiences.

I have even enjoyed sitting outside in the evening with a drink and my computer. As you hear about all the problems in some communities, it’s nice to know you can still sit outside and just enjoy your surroundings for a while.

That is until something good comes on TV. If I ever figure out how to get one of them outside safely, I might never leave the porch.