Let’s Bring Back The Lost Art Of The Afternoon Visit

Whatever happened to the afternoon social call? We’d be willing to bet jobs, kids, schedules, and life in general, might be the reason why the afternoon visits our grandmothers made and received have faded from our culture. Even those who work from home can rarely find three minutes throughout the day to swap the laundry over to the dryer, let alone entertain a neighbor for a cup of coffee.

Before you think it’s too lofty of a goal to usher this social practice of yesteryear into the 21^st century, remember that Nana had eight kids, two dogs, and a vegetable garden. If she could make time for a 30-minute visit with Aunt Charlene twice a month, there might be hope for us yet.

There’s no denying the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a modern gal’s adoption of the afternoon visit is a day job. But just because you have one doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the old-fashioned social visit. Whether it’s scheduling a Zoom call with a friend during your lunch break, or pushing that afternoon visit into the happy hour zone, Grandma’s mid-afternoon pastime is due for a fresh take that appeals to your busy schedule.

The whole point of an afternoon visit isn’t simply a means to catch up with friends, neighbors, and family (though, it’s certainly a perk). It can also serve to reprioritize your day, slow things down, or even eliminate the sense of mundanity that seems to creep in after our daytime hours begin to morph into a series of identical time blocks just to be crossed off one by one. Bringing back the afternoon visit (or Saturday morning drop-in, or Wednesday lunch-hour Zoom call, or post-church coffee with the girls) is as much about the “me” as it is about the “we.”

While “we” might like getting together to catch up, blocking off a sliver of your calendar for socializing, updating, and even venting is just good for the soul—something we know Nana knew a thing or two about. Instead of thinking of it as a bonus task that we’ll get to once all the other must-dos are done, consider flipping the switch and making it one of your high-priority items. Just like working out, wellness, and your morning coffee might be nonnegotiable, why not make an afternoon visit—in whatever form that means to you—one too?

There’s no denying our grandmothers, mothers, and all the women who have come before us certainly had their hands full but, while some aspects of our lives have changed for the better, it’s easy to leave some of the good stuff behind. And the afternoon visit, well, it might just be one of the best.