Reading in Crisfield

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." ~ Margaret Fuller

I had to put my breaks on the other day when I saw this young girl stretched out on the porch railing, reading a book. With video games, cell phones, and TV, a lot of kids don't read much anymore. It was refreshing to see this girl enjoying an afternoon feeding her brain.

This scene also brought back memories of my youthful days hanging out on the porch - people don't do that much anymore, at least in the big cities.


My family used to gather on the porch on hot Georgia evenings for reading, conversation, and a cold drink. On Sundays we had home-made ice cream. Peach was my favorite.

In those days, everyone did a lot of reading. The family would pass the Atlanta-Journal Constitution around, and I would read the "Funny papers" or books from my "kid" library. I also enjoyed looking at advertisements in the newspaper, especially the ones from the department stores like Rich's and Sears. I wanted to grow up to look like the models, so I studied them in hopes that would help. It didn't.


Back then, the fifties-style models, many of them wearing hats, were not real photos - only black and white sketches of long-legged ladies with thin waists, and half sketched-in faces. Still, their grace and mystic intrigued me.


Thanks to the young girl who brought back the memories of those long-ago summer days in Georgia.


If anyone has a porch, gather the family together for an old-fashioned evening together. If you don't have a porch, gather in the backyard or living room with some reading material, if only for an hour. Enjoy a little family time together. 

I must say, I do see a lot of people in Crisfield enjoying their porches. Some traditions never die, especially in a close-knit community where family is important.