Doorbells are a sign of welcome. They adorn an entrance and serve as an introduction. They make an address’ early if not first impression, and inform the inhabitant of the visitor’s own personality as well. You can learn something about someone by the way they ring a doorbell. Do they hold it for a long time? Do they let go too quickly? Do they impatiently ring a second time? Do they pause for awhile after their feet announce their arrival on the doorstep? Doorbells may be a sign of welcome, but this setting places the ringers so far from the door that they’re almost on the neighbor’s property. The wires extend far from the bells before entering the wall and venturing inside the home. Then there’s that patch of black tape. It’s as though there had once been a third bell, but it’s gone missing. The sign of welcome has, in fact, run away. Perhaps we should, too.
An ongoing series cross-posted from instagram.com/dsqt.