Caring for a Porch Swing: It's in our Nature

Ever wonder what it is about human beings that motivates us to rake, mow, stain, paint, sand, and about a million other activities that keep our yards and homes attractive and more comfortable? I think it's a sign of part of what makes us who we are as a species. We appear to have the innate tendency, even drive, to keep things in order and good repair. We also add things to our lives to increase our comfort and satisfaction. Around the house, it is things like swimming pools, a nice bbq grill, a porch swing, nice yard chairs, and other things that improve the quality of our lives. I have always been interested in the leisure activities of humans, how we interact with those activities, and the things that make them possible.

A porch swing makes a nice item to look at to further explore this phenomenon. It is a cool summer evening and we want to relax. We go outside and survey our domain, no matter how puny or large, and get a quick fix on our options for making ourselves more at ease. We see a large wooden stump, an old woven lawn chair, maybe a bench, all things we can sit on to help us deal with the discomforts of gravity. Finally, we settle on the thing we knew we'd prefer anyway, an old comfortable porch swing. It's intended for comfort and relaxation. We have positive association with the many good times we've had there. We sit down comfortably and settle in for a well deserved break.

As we sit there, we start thinking about the porch swing we're on. We realize that it has served us for many years without complaint. It has always been there when we've needed a quiet perch to rest and relax on. It has always been there when we needed a nice place to talk to one of our children, or our own parent. We realize then that we should do something nice for it in return. So, we determine then and there that we will do all we can to extend its life and usability.

The next Saturday morning comes along and we find ourselves out in the garage or shop gathering the needed tools and supplies for the job. Since it is a wooden porch swing we get the sander and paper, a tack rag or two, some high quality stain or paint, a few brushes, and some rags. We take the swing down, lay it across a couple of saw horses, say a few nice words to it, and start in. As the sander whirrs up we notice that we are feeling happy and content. It makes us feel good to do something good for an old friend. Before long the sanding is finished and we've got a nice new coat of stain or paint on it. It's looking good. A few more coats and some drying time and it's time to hang the swing up again.

Such is the nature of being human, we care for things, we make them more attractive and useable. Keeping things nice keeps our homes looking good, increases their appeal and value, and gives us a sense of pride and well-being. Like many things in our lives, a porch swing deserves care and attention as well. Doing so is our nature.