Behind the Door

A rustic entrance door to a former sanctuary of a convent in Antigua, Guatemala. The outside light frames it beautifully.

“In English you have a saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. Here in Antigua we have a saying, ‘Don’t judge a place by its door.”

Our shuttle driver introduced us to Antigua with these words.

For those who have never visited a city in Central America, you will not find houses with big front yards leading directly off of a city street. The streets are lined with narrow sidewalks bordering the walls of the buildings that line the streets. Doors of all sizes are cut into the walls. Some lead to shops and restaurants, some lead to homes and hotels, and others lead social spaces like hospitals, churches, and government buildings.

Antigua was once the capital of the entire region during colonial rule. As a result of its historical significance it was designed as a Unesco World Heritage Site and has retained its Baroque architecture over the years.

While our shuttle driver seemed to indicate that these doors were unattractive due to their age and decay, my perception the opposite. These doors were beautiful. Yet the advice was also really significant. Many times when we would enter into a place through a nondescript doorway only to be led back into a beautiful place with multiple courtyards and gardens hidden from the street view.

It’s a bit similar to people. We need to venture past the masks that people put up only to find a depth of character and strength of conviction that makes them so incredibly valuable as friends.