That saying may be true in situations where we are denied a job opportunity, or when we miss a flight, or suffer a broken heart.
This week I’ll share a recent door-open situation. The Port of Johnstown offered an open house of their massive grain elevators, and extensive harbour facilities. There were speeches, refreshments, guided tours on tractor-drawn wagons, hot dogs, burgers and rides on a diesel locomotive.
As soon as I arrived, I noticed some men, women and children way, way up on the roof of the towering grain elevators. That was definitely my main objective of the day. From it I would get a helicopter-like overview of the Federal Clyde, a cargo vessel unloading steel girders it brought from Argentina.
After listening to speeches presented by local and provincial politicians and businessmen, I noticed an open door! Yes! That would give me access to theroof. I stepped inside the dimly-lit entranceway and advanced to the beckoningmetal stairway. It was a bit steep, with only one railing, but up I went. Soon, a landing, then another stairway, and another, and another. Several times I had to pause to catch my breath, The next series of many next stairways had two railings.The designer of this facility was well tuned into the needs of this 84-year-old who would one day use them, 99 years after these elevators were built. I pressed on, passing a steel door whose access was for some reason was cordoned off by redtape.
To my puzzlement, when I reached the summit there were no windows, just a dead end. I was stymied. Frustrated, I started my long descent. At the red tapes, I heard a rumble, rumble, then saw the door open, A small group of people exited, followed by the elevator operator.
“How in the #XX*!! did you get way up here and over there?”
Without a pause, I admitted, “Because I’m stupid, real stupid.” At that I was given access to the wonderful panorama of the harbour that lay hundreds of feet below me.
One door was open, so I took it. After my rooftop time, another door opened, that of the elevator. When another door opens, take it down!
