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

Sunday, July 25, 2010

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

We take the swing down, lay it across a couple of saw horses, say a few nice words to it, and start in.Like many things in our lives, a porch swing deserves care and attention as well.A porch swing makes a nice item to look at to further explore this phenomenon.

It's looking good.

We have positive association with the many good times we've had there.It is a cool summer evening and we want to relax.Before long the sanding is finished and we've got a nice new coat of stain or paint on it.As the sander whirrs up we notice that we are feeling happy and content.Finally, we settle on the thing we knew we'd prefer anyway, an old comfortable porch swing.Doing so is our nature.We also add things to our lives to increase our comfort and satisfaction.Such is the nature of being human, we care for things, we make them more attractive and useable.I think it's a sign of part of what makes us who we are as a species.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.A few more coats and some drying time and it's time to hang the swing up again.We realize that it has served us for many years without complaint.We realize then that we should do something nice for it in return.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.Keeping things nice keeps our homes looking good, increases their appeal and value, and gives us a sense of pride and well-being.We appear to have the innate tendency, even drive, to keep things in order and good repair.So, we determine then and there that we will do all we can to extend its life and usability.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.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?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.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.As we sit there, we start thinking about the porch swing we're on.It makes us feel good to do something good for an old friend.I have always been interested in the leisure activities of humans, how we interact with those activities, and the things that make them possible.It's intended for comfort and relaxation.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 sit down comfortably and settle in for a well deserved break
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