Noni's Porch

    My family and I joke that we should write a sitcom based on our lives and entitle it "Noni's Porch." Because I'll tell you, my Noni's porch is where it all happens. (see post: My Life is a Sitcom)
    I've had some of the best times on that porch.
    I enjoy sitting with my Noni on her porch. If I didn't have anything else to do, I'll do it all the time. We sit there watching the planes landing in Avoca, observing the cars that come by, and watching all the neighbors and their daily shenanigans. Sit on that porch for a few hours and you will learn so much about everyone on that street, it's unbelievable. Sit on that porch with Noni for a few hours and you will learn those people's life stories.
    That's what I love the most about it.
    Other people's life stories.
    I like looking into other people's lives.
    I once read this book by Maya Angelou. I cannot remember really anything about it including the title, but a girl was with her grandma and they were walking along the streets of a busy city and the grandmother told her to look beyond the faces of all those people because each one of them has a story. I have never looked at people the same way since.
People walk by Noni's porch and some say hello and some just go about their business. I learn who's married to who, who divorced who, whose kids are who, whose grandkids are whose, where all their relatives live, who has a drug problem, who has a mother-in-law problem, who has problems with the other neighbors, whose dog likes whose dog, who has what kind of car, who throws slippers down the toilet.....an array of things that I find fascinating. I don't really know these people. There's a few if I saw out, I would say hello to. The rest probably have no idea who I am.
But then, I sit there and wonder. When Noni sees someone go by, she'll say, "oh that's so and so's granddaughter." I wonder if when I drive by someone on their porch if they say, "oh, that's Mary's granddaughter." It fascinates me.
    And Noni seems to know every thing about everyone. I reallyyyy get a good look into these people's lives.
    Tonight Noni and I sat out there for a while, waving to cars going by, talking about the neighbors, watering the tomato plants, watching the planes come in, and catching some fireworks from all over town. It was better to me than being out doing anything else. She has the TV on in her room and we turn the volume up loud enough so we can hear it. Saturday nights = the Pennsylvania Polka on WVIA.
    It brings me back to when I was younger and I went to Noni's every day. I'd get there and eat my cereal and Noni would sit in her front room and watch TV. The channel always stayed on WYOU. We'd watch The Price is Right and then I'd eat my lunch during the afternoon news. Then I'd go down for my nap while Noni watched her stories. I'd wake up and Montel would be on or I'd catch the end of As the World Turns, and before you knew it, it was dinner time. Noni would be yelling to the other side of the house for my Grandpa. I can hear it perfectly. "IACER, DINNER! COME ON LET'S GO!" And Grandpa would come in and sit in his chair and would change the channel on the little TV in the kitchen. Dinner was not complete without the M*A*S*H theme song in the background. I can still see it so perfectly.
    Some days when it was nice out, we'd sit on her porch where she had the little TV with the antennas. She'd watch her stories on that little black and white TV and I'd sit on the swing or play on my bike or with my Barbies. And she'd sit there and wave hello to who ever passed by. Sometimes we had some visitors, like Rosie across the street or Bonnie down the street, or Joyce down the other street. The same few people who still come around today when Noni and I are sitting out there. They'd come up and talk for hours and we'd learn even more about the rest of the neighbors' stories.
    I'm a lot like my Noni in many many ways. But I think we are definitely both alike in that we like talking to other people and learning about other people. Maybe that's why she's loved her TV "stories" so much. Soap operas are a direct look into people's lives. Pretty dramatic ones, but whatever, still a look into a whole heck of a lot of people and the way they live.
    And maybe that's why now, when I babysit my little cousin and put her down for a nap I find myself watching those "stories," though only our Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful are left.
    Maybe this is also why I feel old.
    But times on that porch with my Noni are some of the best times.
    And she's just like that grandma in Maya Angelou's story. She looks beyond the faces of these people. And now, so do I.