Overheard a neighbor say my porch needed 'more character'

I was out watering my petunias yesterday and caught my neighbor, Mrs. Gable from three doors down, telling her friend my porch was 'clean but boring'. She said it didn't have any character. That stung a bit. But it got me thinking about my grandma's old porch in Dayton, how she had a beat up rocking chair and a rusty wind chime that made the place feel lived in. So I dug an old wooden crate out of my garage, painted it dark green, and stuck a couple of cheap ferns in it on the steps. Has anyone else gotten a comment like that that actually helped?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason.mary15d ago

Well, that's a familiar story. I had a neighbor tell me my front steps looked 'sterile' once. So I took an old milk can from the flea market, painted it a faded blue, and put a big fern in it. That little touch made all the difference, and now people actually stop to chat about it. Sometimes the best advice comes sideways like that.

alicem2914d ago

Kinda gotta disagree here. It's sweet that it worked out for you I guess, but someone calling your front steps "sterile" feels more like a backhanded jab than helpful advice. Not everyone wants a random milk can on their porch and that's okay too.