Empowerment. Engagement. Authenticity.
The Doorway
Revolution
Tinted reflections of traffic whoosh in front of me, making it
difficult to see past the glass of the revolving door. These are just
one of six such brass-trimmed entrances stationed smartly along King
Street, in the heart of Toronto’s financial district. Imposing grey
brick walls flank each doorway. Self-consciously straightening the
collar of my brand-new business suit, I reach a tentative hand towards
the brass handle, afraid that my clammy fingerprints will smear the
glass. Behind me, the diesel belching of public transit tempts me to
retreat to my jeans- and- sweatshirt lifestyle but the prism of glass
panels before me is a portal to independence. Simultaneously, I push the
handle and slide into one triangular wedge of the door. The polished
toes of my dress shoes bump clumsily against the hypotenuse, setting the
door in motion.
Suddenly, I am inside, feeling like Dorothy blown all the way from
Kansas.
Nudged by the momentum of the next person coming through, I trip out of
the door enclosure, trying to regain my composure. I feel impossibly
small in this beautiful maze of cream marble pillars and gurgling rock
fountains. Shop windows glitter with diamond rings and mink coats. Men
and women drink espresso and exchange quiet conversation as they wait
for cherry and brass elevators. Classical music trills from discreet
ceiling speakers. I look back through the revolving doors, catching
glimpses of a hot-dog cart rolling by, a pigeon pecking at the cracks in
the pavement. Squaring my shoulders, I head to the elevators ready to
add another dimension to my life.
(c) Kristy Kassie, 2006
Perspectives
Opening a door can be a major transition in a story. In this exercise, the doorway demonstrates a shift in setting and also a shift in character.
