When I started traveling and visiting towns outside of the Bay Area, I took notice of people's doors. Beginning in New Mexico and continuing to the South--Texas, Alabama and Mississippi, I took pictures of doors and porches. Based on what I saw I'd picture the family that lived within the walls of the house.
Growing up in a suburb outside of San Francisco, I was used to unadorned doorways and porches. Most residents in my neighborhood were too busy rushing to work and back again to take the time to meet their neighbors and their doors reflected this.
I was intrigued but couldn't explain my fascination with doorways until I recently read Shantaram.
"Every door is a portal leading through time as well as space. The same doorway that leads us into and out of a room also leads us into the past of the room and its ceaselessly unfolding future. People knew that once, deep within the ur-mind, the ur-imagination. You can still find those who decorate doorways, and reverently salute them, in every culture, from Ireland to Japan."- Gregory David Roberts, from Shantaram: A Novel (*affiliate link) pp.795-796.
Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.
DISCLOSURE: This post contains an affiliate link, followed by (*affiliate link). I feature products that I own or that I am considering purchasing. I borrowed the book referenced in this post from a friend. All opinions presented are my own.
