Open the door
See that door to the right? That's my front door. The front door that's been driving me buggy the past few weeks. The door is from the late 1800s and it's made of wood ... wood that swells more and more as the humidity rises.
Well, it's been humid lately and my door is swelling.
Last year that door swelled so much it was impossible to open for a few days. Impossible. Luckily there was no fire requiring us to run out the front door, as Jim and I surely would have perished. (Luckily there was no fire requiring us to run out the back door, either, but at least that would have been feasible.)
So my door is swollen, which really isn't that big of a deal. There are far worse things in the world -- even in just daily living -- to be concerned about.
But the weird thing is that this door underscores a bizarre theme I've noticed running through my life for the past month or so. A completely unintentional theme. A theme of doors.
In years past, I didn't think too much about doors. Except, of course, when the girls liked to slam doors as a show of force when they didn't get their way. Or when those slammed doors were removed from the hinges to punish the girls for slamming them -- or because they lost the privilege of having doors and the privacy they provide, privacy that made it impossible to know what questionable things the girls were doing behind those closed doors. Or when I would march into the bathroom and slam and lock the door to keep myself in and Jim out when he really cussed me off. (Boy, I really know how to show him!)
Other than those far-too-common times, though, doors weren't much of an issue. Now, for some unknown reason, they figure prominently on my to-do list, in my conversations, in various facets of my life. And I'm not talking just about the swollen door that makes it difficult for me to go out front to pick up my daily newspaper or my mail.
On my to-do list is "put door on Craigslist," for we have this wonderful glass sliding door in perfect condition that someone surely would love to install in their home. But I don't feel like dealing with the Craigslist crowd right now, so that door hangs over my head. (Figuratively, of course. It's actually leaning against a wall in the garage.)
Then there's Bubby and doors -- more specifically, his discovery of the power of a closed door. Megan called recently to say that Bubby has taken to rounding up Roxy, taking her to his room and shutting the door to play hours-long games of make-believe with his buddy. When Megan opens the door to check on him, he cries, "No, Mommy, shut door!" Which she does, for Bubby's just innocently exercising his imagination, not torturing poor Roxy behind the closed door; Megan's sure of that, as the baby monitor now comes in handy to keep tabs on his daily doings, not just those of the night.
Another odd door thing is that, with no intention whatsoever, Jim and I recently watched "When You're Strange," the 2009 rockumentary about none other than, you guessed it, The Doors. Then Jim watched "Classic Albums: The Doors." (He's more into The Doors than I am.)
Then there's the bizarre phrase Jim keeps uttering; not like a crazy person or anything, just when the time seems right ... to him. Maybe he got it from the recent documentaries; maybe he made it up. I'm not sure, but it's about doors. "The door has been provided ... all you have to do is walk through it," he keeps saying.
What the cuss is that all about? When I worry about new challenges, he says it. When the girls complain about unhappy situations, he says it. When the dogs want to come in at night, he says it. Again and again, Jim waxes philosophical about doors and walking on through them.
(Okay, so I made that up about the dogs. But he has said it -- and continues to say it -- to the rest of us, in a variety of situations.)
I don't know what it means. I don't know why doors are figuring so prominently in my life right now, and I don't know why Jim -- after nearly 30 years together and never saying it before -- has started telling me to walk through one.
So maybe the answer, the resolution, the clarity will come once I find that door of which Jim speaks, the door that all these other doors are directing me to. Maybe good things await on the other side of that door ... if only I open it and walk on through.
My only hope? That when I find that cuss door, it's not one made of wood. Because with all the humidity we've had lately, that certainly would not bode well for my journey.
One final, minor note (hence the smaller font): All the door photos here are of doors in my house. See? My life is nothing but doors, doors, doors. Well, that and stairs, stairs, and more stairs.
Today's question:
What door have you recently walked through, a door to something exciting, challenging, foreboding or fun?
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Reader Comments (11)
Wow...I never realized how many beautiful doors you have in your house until now. Loved this post! I do think sometimes the universe has a way of pointing out a direction and we just have to listen. But sometimes it's a little like Alice in Wonderland and the door seems impossible to squeeze through. Or even to find. But keep your eyes peeled because you never know when it might appear!
Right now I'm just enjoying watching my sister walk through the "wedding" door. Things I never thought she would be worried about - or even think about - she is. Sometimes it's just fun to watch other people walk through the doors - or struggle to open them. :)
You've got some really cool doors in your house! Someday when i have my own house, I'm going to import super cool-old doors.
as to your question- as of yesterday, I just walked through the crazy exciting door of joining the Army. I know! that's what I said!
You have beautiful doors in your house! And I'm walking through the door of retirement. Wahoo!
You are such a talented writer, Lisa. I love all the analogies in this story. Did you know that Jim Morrison took the name The doors after reading the book "The Doors of Perception" by Aldous Huxley? I guess he was a stoner right form the beginning. We have that documentary on our Netflix list.
I love your house...all your wonderful vintage wood doors made me drool, sticky or not. It has been so incredibly humid here this summer that I am beginning to yearn for autumn all the more :)
A trick my Mom used on swollen stuck doors was to rub a damp bar of soap along the door and the jam. It seemed to help lubricate it enough to allow it to open. Wiping on some WD40 might help too, if you can stand the petroleum smell.
As far as Jim's new expression? Hmmm...did you ask him to explain exactly what this means to him?
No new doors for me recently ..just the same ole, same ole, I am looking forward to vacation next month!
I've recently walked thru the door of retirement and loving it. I'm 55 yrs old and still feel that I can do other work but I have been so spoiled this summer being spontaneous that I really don't want to work full time again...unless it comes a time where I can't afford it. I have always loved the woodwork and doors in your home.
Beautiful doors!
I have 25 doors in my home. Seemed like 125 when I was painting them each with three coats of paint during the construction of our home.
This month has been filled with going through the doors of way too many dental offices. Routine procedure went way wrong. I actually slammed the door to any follow up care to that dental office. I then entered and exited the door of a dental specialist where a root canal was performed. After entering the next dental office door I was looking for quality follow up care to fix what went way wrong. The news was good and bad. He could help me but more dental office doors were in the very near future for me. Next dental office door had extensive oral surgery waiting for me. I left that door with a gauze filled mouth, pain med scripts, and six weeks of recovery before I can reenter the door of the dentist who can help make the procedure that went wrong right.
Now it is the doors of the freezer, fridge, and pantries that I keep opening and closing while I am looking for something soft, non spicy, and non acid to eat.
The door I am really looking forward to is the one to a great steak house once this is all over.
Lisa, Love--
You have so many beautiful doors, stairs, and WINDOWS in your home (my favorite is the huge half-circle at the top of the grandest set of stairs) and, I agree with Jim; you have stairs on which you can practice reaching goals, doors through which you can choose to enter and obtain new and exciting realities, windows through which you can observe mourning dove families or see ever-changing vistas! You have a life-partner with whom to share all these wonderful things. Being widowed fifteen years limits my enjoyment of even simple things (so my plain little house is just fine for me, not too many doors, simple windows, no stairs) but you have the talent, stamina, and ambition to utilize and share all your blessings. I love you.
Wow, those doors are so beautiful! The door has been opened for me to be a guest blogger on a big blog but I don't know if I want to go through it!!
@Amber: What an exciting door for your sister! And I'm sure you're being moral support all the way! Very cool!
@Suz: As your name says, you definitely rock! Congrats and best wishes on your new adventure!
@Blissed-Out: Wahoo is darn right!! Congratulations to you! (And thank you for the compliment on the doors.)
@Pat: I'll have to ask Jim if he's read that book. I think you'll really enjoy the documentary. Jim has read and knows a lot about The Doors and he said there was stuff in it he hadn't heard before. I'll have to try that fix for swollen doors. Oh, and I did ask Jim where he got the quote from and he said he made it up. So ... ?? I can't wait to see the photos from your vacation! Have fun!
@Debbie: And no one was more deserving of getting through that retirement door than you! I *know* what you went through and am so impressed by your perseverance. You did it! Enjoy!
@Shelley: You poor, poor thing. It truly hurts to READ what you're going through; I can't even imagine the degree to which it hurts you. Good luck and best wishes for that steak dinner being sooner than expected.
@Mom: I'm sure that's what you say to all your kids, right!? :o) Thank you for being so supportive of your littlest of the big kids. I love you, too.
(If you're curious why I left Annette off the reply above, it's cuz I e-mailed her secretly. I try not to miss anyone.)
:o)
Loved the door tour- beautiful! Would love to see more!
Kristin