The porch light.
Today the porch light has a single purpose – to illuminate seasonal wreaths hanging on front doors or aiding homeowners while fumbling for a keyhole in the darkness.
But when I was growing up the porch light had another purpose, one that is rarely if ever used today.
If you look around your neighbors, isn’t it strange that you never really see kids outside playing anymore? The birth rate in American hasn’t declined any so where are they all?
Growing up we were always outside playing or exploring with our imagination in hand – even when it was raining or snowing sometimes. And when darkness fell and I saw the illumination of our porch light from wherever I was on the block, I knew it was time to come in for the night.
It was a simple and effective method of communicating – my parents never fearing that I wouldn’t see that beacon in the night and return home shortly after it was turned on.
Life was a lot of fun when I was a kid. Today kids spend most of their time sequestered in their bedrooms – playing with the computer, their cell phones or video games, forgetting all about the world going on outside their windows.
Being outside was something I always enjoyed and appreciated growing up – at least until the porch light came on.
