Philosophy: the door on holiday

Self-tutoring about seasonal changes and transitional states: the tutor mentions an ironic one.

The other day my wife and I were at a store with a roofed, but open, outdoor seasonal section. When there is merchandise therein, it’s fenced, with a couple of places people can enter: a gate and the door. Now, the area is empty, so without a gate or fence. Only the door remains, and it’s closed.

My wife observed that, somewhat ironically, one can now freely enter the area, except through the door. Looking at it, I agreed that the door, standing closed but with no wall either side, seemed to lack purpose at the time.

The door is in the lull between seasons. The value it would protect is absent; moreover, with no value sitting behind it, nobody seems attracted to the area, anyway. Yet, the door remains a testament that sometimes there is desirable merchandise behind it.

In the spring and early summer that area is busy; I’ve been therein on many occasions, and have bought birthday and Mother’s Day presents from there. At such times I’ve wandered its aisles, because I like to do that sort of thing. Yet, I’ve always entered and exited through the gate. I never knew of a door on its perimeter until my wife pointed it out the other night. Perhaps when the area is busy, the door is invisible. One might come to wonder when the door is ever open, and who uses it.