Shut the front door!

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My newest column on The Bargain Hunter.  What is YOUR spousal argument that just won't end? 

Quick, name the one thing that is a bone of contention between you and your spouse? Is it about bills? Kids? Supper that isn’t made often enough? I will tell you a story of the one thing my husband and I fought about, a simple thing that really meant a lot to him, but that I could have cared less about. Callous? Nah, just one of those couple things that end up lasting for years until like magic – the problem is solved. 

Now that I’ve got you all on the edge of your seat, I’ll tell you what the whole problem was. … Our front door. Yes, that entryway into the Herrera household that divided us for years. When we bought our house nearly 18 years ago, we could tell that the front living room had once been two rooms. A support beam ran down the center, separating it into what used to be two tiny rooms. As we set up our TV viewing area, we realized that the front door would continually be opened onto us sitting there. You know, watching TV, reading, sleeping, or whatever people do in a living room. 

At first it wasn’t an issue. You all know my husband is an interior texturer/painter so he has access to a lot of items people discard on a job site. Many of them fill up our garage because he can’t stand to see them tossed in the trash – windows, light fixtures, and yes, doors. This has been a boon to us over the years because it’s a money saver. Free things equal new to us. He was able to get a beautiful front door for a song and about 10 or more years ago installed it. It was about that time he started talking about changing where the front door was. “Let’s move it over and have it open at that window.” I thought he was crazy and told him so. No way, the door will be on the right front side of the house and look weird when you drive by. I am ever the devil’s advocate and argue about things that are meaningless. Needless to say, for many, many years we were at a standstill. He said let’s move it, I would say no. 



Ah, the sands of time move along ever so stealthily, and with them come wisdom and the realization that some things just aren’t worth fighting over. I accept the fact that I blocked his dream door for years. It was me. Missy. I’m the one. Chagrin. 

Over Christmas break he began to ask me again about installing a door. “I have one that I can get for a song and it’s beautiful, just trust me,” he said, “It will be installed and you will love it.” I was tired of holding out and not sure why I was really doing it anymore, although I put up a semi-poor argument that I didn’t want my house messed up the weekend before Christmas. That didn’t hold water and voila, the date was set for his guy to come and help him install the door. After picking up our daughter on a Friday night at the airport, then shopping until the wee hours with both daughters (George stayed home), we arrived home at 4 a.m. Saturday morning and crashed. Promptly at 8 a.m. I heard horrendous sawing and knew the front right side of my house was being sawed open for a new doorway. 

I now have a new front door, on the right side of my house, off center, and you know what? I’m in love with it. It opened up our living room in a tremendous way and feels like a new home. I believe I fought for so long because I thought it would look strange from the road, but who cares what passersby think? People no longer walk in on top of us, I have a new living room, a wonderful door obtained for a song, and a new outlook on my home. And the best part? My husband is so happy and excited that he finally got his new front door – and we have one less thing to argue about. Lesson learned for me.

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