Doors

I have been admiring my friends' posts about doors, first from ruralrob, then androkles and ubermunkey. I want to join this celebration of passages, but I'm away from home, so I'm restricted to photos I have already posted. This one came to mind.



It comes from a wealthy neighbourhood in my own city, an area that I find both beautiful and intimidating, off-putting in fact. I will probably never pass through this door, but I can admire it. I liked how it was secluded from the street, surrounded by natural beauty.

We all have need of sanctuary, a safe place where we can refresh ourselves and take time to draw from our wells of inner wisdom. In some ways I am like this door, relishing solitude and surrounding myself with nature as a comforter and teacher. This is inward wealth and security, but what good are riches if we never use them?

I have spent too much of the past five years in isolation. I have made some good friends, but I need more confidence about the wider world, sometimes unfriendly. I need to be less fearful of getting hurt, more secure in my own resilience and capacity to look after myself. The only way to gain confidence is from experience.

I have become habitually overcautious about people. Perhaps 2004 will be the year in which I change course.