| I remember asking musical legend and Belmont-native Mac McAnally this question: “Why does Mississippi produce so many amazing storytellers? Is it the stories or the storytellers?” Mac split the baby and said both.
I don’t disagree with him. We do have great stories and people who use their skills to tell those stories. But how were the stories born? My theory is this: The power of the front porch.
Last weekend I had the honor of being one of the speakers at the Conference on the Front Porch at Plein Air. As we come out of the pandemic, it hammered home the importance of connection and storytelling. It was three days of meeting new friends, reconnecting with old ones and reminding us that we can all change the world around us through our art (in whatever form it may come in.) This is a labor of love for Campbell and Leighton McCool and I hope the event continues to grow and spread its gospel of the importance of community. There is power in a front porch. It’s the superpower that gave birth to Mississippi’s incredible storytelling tradition. I’m very proud to have been asked to be a part of this year’s edition.
Robert Davis, the father of Seaside, Florida, made this very important point during his speech: We rediscovered the importance of front porches during the pandemic. We could sit at a safe distance and still have connection when so many were isolated.
While front porches are important for storytelling, they are also important for our mental health. As much as I love social media (I mean, as much as I am addicted to social media), nothing beats the healing power of connection. Our ancestors would have to roam in packs or they’d get eaten by sabertooth tigers. Being cast aside meant certain doom. We risk that same doom without that same connection today — at least the doom our mental health is faced with by isolation.
Front porches are important incubators for storytelling. They are also a balm for the irritation we all seem to be suffering from lately. We need each other. We need conversation. And we need to find common ground. The best place to do that is on a front porch.
Long live the power of the front porch. |
