Metaphor Journaling

This was my first recorded quote: "A mere door, can give images of hesitation, temptation, desire,
security, welcoming, and respect. If one were to give an account of
all the doors one has closed and opened, of all the doors one would like
to reopen, one would have to tell the story of one's entire life." From
"The Poetics of Space" by Gaston Bachelard

The second quote was written two pages away..."The maps of my field are
engraved in my soul."_Thoreau

I was working with metaphors in an intensive workshop at the time.
Amongst many important events in this journal there was a door that I
needed to reopen at the time. One day, I decided I was going to go visit
my childhood home. It was the only house we remained in for any length
of time as children. We lived there for five years. I was living in
Pennsylvania at the time and hadn't lived in that house for twenty-nine
years. The house was in Delaware. I quick went to my albums and found a
photo of the old house and stuffed it in my pocketbook. Off I went. Much
to my amazement I drove straight to the house without getting lost. I
remember, I felt excited and apprehensive. There were a lot of memories
in that house that I still had concerns about. I was afraid I would have
a bad reaction.

To make a long story short, I knocked on the door. A tall dark man
opened the door. I showed him the picture and told him I had lived there
as a child, introducing myself. It turned out he was the original
owner that bought our house. I asked if I could come in. I had a need to
see the house. I don't know what I expected to find. I just wanted to
see it, be in it, remember, smell it, feel. He let me in and I got to
see as far as the kitchen. However, he drew the line when I asked if I
could go upstairs.He said, "I don't think my wife would like that." I'm
actually surprised that he let me in. I visited neighbors, my school, a
local park that I hung out in, and my best friend from back then, that
day. I went home totally satisfied. I found that experience healing.
Even though I remembered some really scary events that took place in
that house, that wasn't what resonated for me. It was the fond memories
that meant the trip was well worth the risk of reopening that door. It
was the realization. They were no longer just memories. It was real...I
was real.
Doors open and close in journal writing. Sometimes, we do need to reopen our doors to the past for whatever reason. Some people need to open all
the doors and some of us would rather shut the doors once and for all.
By doing so we enrich ourselves and others. A journal of this type could
be used for memoir writing. You can choose to write one story, or write
a whole book. You may have a meaningful event that you would like to
write about and give it to someone as a gift. Think about a door you
would like to reopen, close or open a new door? Draw a picture, or find
an old photo to give yourself a visual, or perhaps a magazine clipping,
or go visit a door that holds meaning for you. Metaphorical writings can
teach us so much about ourselves. What does the door represent for you?