There Are No Accidents; We're All Teachers.

I truly believe that everything that we do and everyone that we meet is put in our path for a purpose. There are no accidents; we’re all teachers - if we’re willing to pay attention to the lessons we learn, trust our positive instincts and not be afraid to take risks or wait for some miracle to come knocking at our door.

Marla Gibbs

According to a 5 Minute History article titled “Knock Knock: A Brief History of Door Knockers ,” and a couple of other sites that turn up when one Googles “door knocker history”, the door knocker had some dark history dating back to ancient Athens. Apparently, the first door knockers were slaves chained to the door and tasked with answering it. “It’s a bit like having a butler, but one that was chained to the door to prevent them wandering off. If they didn’t die of boredom, they’d fall asleep, and so to wake them up, visitors rapped the door with a short bar of iron attached to a chain.” Turns out that bar of iron could be used as a weapon against the householder, so the “knocker evolved into a heavy ring fastened to the door by a plate—dual purpose knocker and handle!” It all sounds kind of baffling, stupefying, and don’t trust everything you read.

About the author

Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Theresa Bradley; June 14, 1931) is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer and television producer, whose career spans five decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson’s maid, Florence Johnston, in the CBS sitcom, The Jeffersons (1975–1985), for which she received five nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.