Have you ever noticed how much character a door has? Doors differ from house to house, and often from room to room within the same house. And each door serves its own different purpose, has its own story.
The front door is a sturdy guardian, with its Cyclopsian glass eye bearing down upon visitors, judging whether they are worthy of being let into the fortress. A bedroom has a well-trained steward of a door, who stands with folded arms to ensure its occupants are not disturbed, or that their private knickknacks are not displayed for the eyes of all and sundry. The door of the utilitarian bathroom is a humble unadorned plank, made to uncomplainingly weather droplets and soapsuds, pierced with spikes to bear the burden of clothing. The door that leads to a balcony patronises Janus, with a pristine and well preserved inner face while the outer side is a weather beaten, paint peeling travesty, unrecognisable as once having been the twin of the other. However, what it loses in beauty it makes up in experience perhaps, staring out at an ever changing world day after day.
They have such distinctive voices. One door opens with tired creaking hinges, the other swings open with a shrill squeak. Some rattle, some grind, others glide silently to and fro. Some have a naughty habit of slamming shut with a bang at the slightest puff of wind and must be constantly and carefully minded with doorstops. Some have latches that slide in with a distinctive click, others with bolts that loudly resist being moved and literally need oil to be poured on troubled waters. We know our doors so well that one could lie in bed and identify from the noise which door just opened in which part of the house.
People say you can know much about a person from his clothes. I think the same could be said of doors. The man who fits his house with imposing mahogany doors wants to be taken seriously. The wife who picked out cheerfully light pine doors wishes to make her house a warm home for her family. The neighbour who bars his door with an additional grille might as well put up a 'Keep Out' sign. The doors with brassy multitudes of ornamental vines and flowers painted in bright gilt reflect the owner's proclivity towards ostentatious display.
Every door is different. And has its own story. We probably just need to pay a little attention in order to know it.
(Written on June 5, 2014)
