A Front Porch Attitude: Echoes of the Past

by Vincent Morton, ENG 336.001.

Appalachian Festival was a truly unique experience. On a cold and brisk sunny day in Frostburg, students and locals gathered to be enriched by the culture of Appalachia. Set up like a carnival of sorts, there was food to try, goats to pet, puppets shows to see, music to hear, people to speak to, crafts to buy, and speakers to listen to. The hotdogs with coleslaw, mustard, and cheese sauce, homemade slow cooked apple butter and bread, and white chicken chili were exceptional. The home brewed root beer and a taste of honey from the comb were also pretty good. However, the highlight of the event was the music played in a little tent set up behind Sowers Hall. From this tent, rained sounds of times passed. Blues, Folk, and country music from a plethora of artists made up the selections of beautiful sounds for the day. Attending the mini concert was truly like stepping into a time machine. The whole event was surreal, and question provoking.

Was America really that simple "back then"? The only question on my mind after the day was over. The current generation hears stories from the older generations about an America that was overall better than today's. People were more courteous, fathers actually raised their children, music had substance, food was "slow", and respect was common. People lived more reserved and less hectic lives. They had what Carrie and Michael Kline, two performers from that wonderful tent, call a "front porch attitude". Mr. and Mrs. Kline are folklorists, oral historians, and audio producers who write music and travel the United States talking and listening to whoever will speak with them. They preach of the days when the front porch was the multi-purpose stage for all of life's events. Everything was done on the front porch. The front porch was where "babies were delivered, dogfights took place, butter was churned, funeral wakes took place, people were married, food was shared, stories were told, politicians campaigned, and people met each other", said Mr. Kline in the interview. The couple also spoke about what seems to be becoming a lost concept, being out of doors. Mrs. Kline said that "fresh air made the human spirit". "We stepped away from porch life", said Mr. Kline. Cellphones, central air, television and the internet replaced being outside for the sake of being outside. We talked for 45 minutes about days that my eyes will never see. Mr. Kline spoke of his days in 60's Kentucky and Mrs. Kline about the concept of a real community where people watched out for each other and disciplined the children. The conversation had the feeling of being at a trading post. I brought what little life stories I've amassed in my 21 years of life, and they brought their many years of experience. We traded laughs, smiles, culture, memories, ideas, and genuine face-to-face communication between the three of us. The experience was enlightening. I did not have to type anything into a text box, press buttons on a 3 inch keypad, or sit in front of a webcam to have this conversation. We sat and talked in the sunlight. The day left me wondering how things would be "If the world had a front porch like [they] did back then".