Through the Bathroom Door

One of the most intriguing features of our new house when we bought it 10 years ago was the fact that the house had two bathrooms, one for each of us.  We were ecstatic about the idea of having our own bathrooms. 

I realized that I had never had a bathroom to myself.  I grew up sharing one bathroom with five other people, and I went on to live in dormitories, apartments and three different houses where I shared one bathroom with the other people living there.

I was delighted with my new bathroom, which, despite being the shape of a small arrowhead, had everything I needed.  A full shower, a toilet, a sink, and an amazing oversized mirrored medicine cabinet. It would have been a perfect design but for one little thing.  The door opened into the bathroom, effectively cutting the room in half when it was open.

Why did the people responsible for designing this bathroom do this?  This is a question for the 
ages, one I have asked myself many times. It is a mystery, and we may never know the answer.

No big deal, I thought.  We could just turn the door around at some point.  That shouldn’t be too hard. It was the one and only change I wanted to make to the house.

But you can’t always get what you want.  It turns out that in my naivete regarding all construction-

related topics, I did not realize what a massive and difficult undertaking turning the door around
would be.  A succession of handymen and friends who know about this kind of thing explained
why that was so. It’s very complicated, but suffice it to say that it had something to with the way 
the frame was.  Turning it around would not only be complicated, but expensive, and we came to the conclusion that we might just need to buy a new door.

We agreed that we would indeed buy a door for the bathroom….someday.  Someday came and went, and there we were, 10 years later, and the bathroom door still opened into my bathroom.

So, when Mr. Rip asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year, I seized the opportunity.  “I want a door for the bathroom that opens out.” I said without hesitation.

“Okay,” he said, “but I will have to get you something to open that day.”

I assured him that would not be necessary.  “Just put a big bow on the door,” I told him.

Fast forward.  We found a carpenter who was able to turn around the existing door.  He completed the project while I was at work, so when I came home I rushed to see the door. This is what I 
found.

Mr. Rip really did put a big bow on it.  Of course, in true Pandora style I ignored the directive on 

the sign and opened the door immediately.  After all, my birthday was six weeks away.

It turns out that having the door swing out was just what my bathroom needed to make it all I’ve 

ever dreamed it could be and more.  The only thing better in the house right now is the guy who
put the bow on it.