It’s easy and normal to take doors for granted, though they are, of course, super important. I mean, where the hell would we be without them? Climbing in and out of windows, that‘s where. And who would want to do that?
But doors do have major fans. For example, a fair number of WordPress scribes write about them, maybe in recognition of their crucial value. Or maybe because certain doors are true works of art. Whatever the reasons, it is de rigeur for those scribes to launch their doors-centric essays into cyberspace on Thursdays. Why Thursdays? Because . . . well, I sure as shit don’t have a clue. It just became one of those things to do, I think.
The ringleader of Thursday doors articles was a guy named Norm (here’s the link to his blog), who began the project in 2014 but recently gave up his duties. A responsible and caring sort, he didn’t simply walk away. No, Norm nimbly passed the baton to Dan Antion, the mastermind behind the blog called No Facilities. Authors of doors-related pieces now are asked to post notices of their latest opuses on Dan’s site rather than on Norm’s. And that’s what I’ll be doing today, which is Thursday in my time zone, as this is a story about doors.
I published my first doors narrative in June 2020, taking a look at doors in Jenkintown, and decided to examine those in Ambler for my second effort. Both Jenkintown and Ambler are cute, traditional-looking villages in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are pretty close to Willow Grove, the not-too-cute town that I call home.
A few weeks ago I spent about 70 minutes scouring many of Ambler’s streets. I was in search of doors that made a big impression on me, though I wasn’t sure which types those would be when I began the expedition. As you’d expect, the vast majority of doors that I passed were the kinds you’ve seen millions of times before. Standard wooden ones on houses, for instance, and standard glass/metal ones on commercial properties. Most of them were perfectly nice and well-maintained, for certain. But, vanilla.
So, how about doors that might be described as elegant or artistic? Surprisingly, Ambler seemed to be lacking in them, for I noticed but two. One belonged to a church, the other to a restaurant. Now, I could have placed their photos on this page and devoted a couple of hundred words to various aspects of their worthiness. However, I’ve chosen not to, as the five doors that resonated with me during my walk were way humbler. And weathered and disheveled too, to one degree or another. What’s more, the word dilapidated also applies to two of the five (the white door with a big empty space next to it, and the cardboard-stuffed black door upon which the sturdy lavender-hued door closes). I liked all of the outsiders aplenty when I spotted them and, in examining their portraits a short while ago, I like them no less now. They have tons of character. They’ve been through a lot and have stories to tell. And they probably go unnoticed by most everyone, but so what? They’ve entered my heart, which contains a warm spot for the underappreciated. Yeah, I’m a f*cking softie.
And which of the specimens do I choose as my favorite? Tough decision, but I’m going with the wooden swinging doors. Man, crude though they are, they exude down-to-earth charm and nonchalant confidence, characteristics I’d be proud to call my own. But I’ll never be as cool as those doors are, Shit, I’m well into my septuagenarian era. So, if it hasn’t happened yet, it’s not about to now. But an old guy can dream, can’t he? Damn right he can, and will.
Is any essay about doors truly complete without a nod to The Doors, the explosive, brooding and trippy rock band that burst into the big-time in 1967? The answer is no, at least when it comes to my offerings. Thus, I shall leave you with a recording by The Doors that has one big thing in common with the doors I’ve written about above. To wit, it is underappreciated. Wintertime Love, performed in a flexible waltz time, finds the band behaving all happy and tender, something they weren’t particularly known for doing. The song appears on their Waiting For The Sun album, which hit the marketplace in 1968. Here it is. Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening. And please don’t be shy about adding your comments. Till next time!
Yeah, Another Blogger 
I always wonder what’s behind those doors, Neil, don’t you?
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Some of the mysteries of life!
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A terrific collection of doors. I have to say my fave is the church door – there’s something so earnest about it. Plus, it has such a dramatic illustration.
More of these, please.
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Hello, Ruth. Thanks for the thumbs up. I’ll probably continue to do a doors story occasionally. I liked doing the footwork for the two I’ve published. See ya!
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I love the 4th one….it’s so rustic and yet classic 👌
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Hi there. I agree. I like it a lot too.
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I love the song “Wintertime Love.” Yes, not what they’re known for, but what a gorgeous melody, with Morrison effectively aping his singing hero Frank Sinatra.
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I never knew that JM idolized Sinatra. Very interesting!
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Walking through a door is traveling to another chamber of our life – even if we pass through it numerous times in a day. Thanks for the taste of Jim Morrison
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Right — we need to keep our minds open. It’s important. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the upcoming week.
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What a nice door journey! My sister and my niece are both obsessed with doors and have posted images of doors on Facebook from places all over the world. Fascinating!
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There’s something inherently interesting about doors. And there are billions of them worldwide.
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The wooden swinging doors are my favorite too. They make me think of a childhood world beyond them. Ready for adventure!
Thanks Neil,
Suzanne ☺️
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Hi Suzanne. You’re right about those doors. They have a magical quality to them.
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Ah, the old wooden swinging doors get me, too. They have seen the breadth of human characters pass through them. Time trades their paint and shine for rot and rust, yet they stay standing, watching us all, gathering our stories.
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Hi. I agree. One thing about those swinging doors is that they are so atypical for a traditional-looking town. I was surprised to see them.
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Very true, after posting all these door pictures I was thinking more in depth about doors. What a weird feeling, never thought so much about something so simple. Here is our share for the week.
https://awaywegomk.com/2021/05/07/thursday-doors-from-the-islands-to-the-highlands-of-the-world/
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I like your doors!
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Thank you for thinking of the underappreciated, including the tune. Winter’s so cold this year.
My favourite door is the weirdass pink on brick with all that plumbing on the side.
Be well and I hope we don’t have to wait half a year for your next door post! Also congratulations for 200 likes on a door post. I don’t think I have ever seen this in all my six years taking part in Thursday Doors.
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Thanks for adding your thoughts. I probably will continue to do Thursday Doors stories, but not too often. We shall see. Enjoy the day. Take care.
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