Charlie and I were talking about songwriting one day when he told me he couldn't write songs.
I told him, “Come on, Charlie. You can if you try.”
He said he'd tried and just couldn't do it. That's when I opened my big fat mouth and told him songwriting wasn't as complicated as he was making it out to be.
In fact, I said, “Charlie, I could write a freaking song about a doorknob.”
He laughed his butt off and basically told me he couldn't wait to hear that one.
Well, now I had to write the damn thing.
What started as a joke between two old friends became “Open That Door.” Once I started thinking about that ridiculous doorknob, I realized there really was a song hiding behind it.
We spend our lives walking through doors. Some lead somewhere wonderful. Some lead straight into trouble. Some close before we're ready, and sometimes we're the ones who finally need to slam one shut behind us.
But there's almost always another door. The hard part is having enough faith in what's ahead to reach out, grab the knob, turn it, and walk through.
That's what the song became about: storms passing, letting go of pain, moving beyond doubt, taking chances, finding love, holding onto hope, and understanding that a closed door doesn't necessarily mean the journey is over.
And here's the part I never expected. It turns out “Open That Door” became one of Darice's favorite songs.
Charlie thought the whole idea was hilarious. Darice ended up loving the song. And now I'm the one shaking my head.
So yes, Charlie, I wrote a freaking song about a doorknob.
And wouldn't you know it? There was something worth saying on the other side.