Interesting thing about running everyday, is that you start to extend yourself out further and further and always looking for variety. I find myself running through neighborhoods just to check it out and see the houses and what is going on. One interesting side note that I have picked up, is just how prevalent certain symbols are in our society. As I have had the opportunity to run around many different neighborhoods, I have seen these same symbols repeat frequently. One that is interesting is the symbol of the red door. This is not just an American thing either.
Mic Jagger wanted to paint the red doors black, probably because they were symbolic of good luck which he was not feeling at the time. However, the red door has many meanings and it is an interesting evolution and I encounter red doors with enough frequency to really think about them. Here are some scenarios:
A Chinese household might have a red door to symbolize that the entry point to their home, where the chi can enter. The powerful force that animates life can enter the home. This will bring good luck, and sometimes the door is just adorned with red during the new year. Other times it is just painted completely red. I am not an expert, but I think this is the first principle in homes designed feng shui.
Many people in Western cultures will put in a red door to symbolize that this place is paid for. I thought about that a while. Paid for means that it is protected from being taken away. If you remember, during the great depression most people lost their homes that were under a mortgage. So if you have a red door, that means that you own that house and it cannot be taken away from you.
The red door as a protection symbol is a Jewish custom, and by nature extended to Christianity. The red door has to do with the Passover story, where blood was painted on the door posts as a symbol to be passed over by the Angel of Death. The concept of the red door as protection probably came from that ancient custom.
Consequently, in areas where travel was frequent, you will see locations with bright red doors. This symbolized a secure place where you could stay for the night and get a good meal. I have thought about knocking on someone’s front door and asking for breakfast and a place to take a nap. After all, they painted their door red, right?
Around the Civil War era, the red door signified safety for travelers and this became what the Underground Railroad used to mark the path for slaves attempting to escape to the North. This was a safe place to hide for the evening.
Finally, in the early days of the protestants (Lutheran mainly), the red door symbolized that household as part of the Reformation.
Yeah, I come up with all sorts of crazy things to think about when running around neighborhoods. What I find really entertaining is when people mix symbols all up together inadvertently because they just bough something from Home Goods that they thought looked nice. However, maybe that is what the U.S. is all about. An eclectic mix of cultures with a nice healthy sprinkling of commercialism thrown on the top.
Maybe we should be more deliberate with our symbols. Maybe there is power to them, and we are silly to ignore that? Symbols are after all what formulated language and that is what propelled our society forward. We have an instrument to communicate our ideas to the next generations. Without that we would be hopelessly repeating our problem solving forever. So maybe you should get ready to paint that front door red, when you finally pay off your 30 year mortgage. Maybe you should adorn your door in red decorations during the new year to remind yourself to be open to new opportunity. Maybe when you walk into your home, you can admire the red door and realize that you are entering a place of safety and respite from the evils of the World.
Anyway, now when I see the red door as I run past, I am reminded of the symbolic meaning in my own life and resolve to take them just a little bit more seriously.
Guy Reams
