a door swings open by itself. no hand on the knob. no footstep on the boards. just the slow exhale of the hinge, a breadth of darker hallway visible, and then the door at rest against the wall as if it had been there all along.
this means a mild surprise — not a fright, not a fortune. someone you have not seen for a season will think of you before sundown. a small fact you assumed was true will be gently corrected. you will laugh, briefly, at something you did not expect to find funny.
do not close the door right away. walk through the opening once and back, in that order. the building is testing the hinge, and you, by walking, are answering yes, the hinge works. then shut it gently.
— field note: doors that open alone never close alone. always close them; otherwise the building forgets which side of the door you were on.