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The Lost Art of Sitting Still
There was a time when the porch was the heart of the home. It was where families gathered after dinner, where neighbors stopped by for conversation, where children played while adults rocked gently in their chairs, watching the day fade into evening.
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The porch was a threshold between the private world of home and the public world beyond—a liminal space where stories were shared, letters were read, and time moved at the pace of a summer breeze.
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What We've Lost
Today, our porches sit empty. We've traded rocking chairs for screens, conversation for scrolling, and the gentle rhythm of storytelling for the frenetic pace of social media. We've forgotten what it feels like to sit still for an hour—to be fully present with a single story, a single moment, a single breath.
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Research shows that the average person checks their phone 96 times a day. We're more connected than ever, yet we feel more isolated. We have access to infinite information, yet we struggle to focus on a single page. We're always busy, yet we rarely feel fulfilled.
The Power of The Porch Hour
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The Porch Hour is more than a subscription service—it's a philosophy, a practice, and a protest against the pressure of constant connectivity.
When you commit to spending one hour on your porch (or wherever you find peace) with a letter in hand, you're doing something radical:
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You're choosing depth over breadth. Instead of skimming dozens of articles, you're fully immersing yourself in one beautifully crafted story.
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You're practicing patience. The story unfolds over 24 letters. You can't binge it. You must wait, anticipate, savor.
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You're engaging your senses. The feel of paper, the scent of ink, the sound of pages turning—these tactile experiences ground you in the present moment.
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You're creating a ritual. Twice a month, you have something to look forward to. A reason to slow down. A permission slip to rest.
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You're joining a community. Across the country, others are sitting on their porches at the same time, reading the same letters, experiencing the same story.
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The Science of Slow Reading
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Studies have shown that reading physical books—especially slowly and without distraction—offers profound benefits:
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Improved focus and concentration
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Deeper understanding and retention of information
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Better sleep quality
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Reduced stress and anxiety
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Enhanced empathy and emotional intelligence
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Increased mindfulness and presence
When we slow down to read a letter, we're not just entertaining ourselves—we're nourishing our minds, calming our nervous systems, and reconnecting with our humanity.
Bringing Back the Porch
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You don't need a physical porch to practice disconnectivity. You need a space—any space—where you can sit undisturbed for an hour. It might be a favorite chair by the window, a bench in your garden, a corner of your bedroom, or yes, an actual porch.
What matters is the commitment: one hour, twice a month, to put down your phone, step away from your computer, and enter into a story that unfolds at the pace of life itself.​
