1. Ok Twitter, here is a funny story for you about opening a classroom door that had me and my entire philosophy class - including the professor - collectively doubting our sanity.

This happened about ten years ago now at the University of Waterloo.

2. It was an 8:30 am class in new building. I had arrived 15 minutes early the first day of class (my commute meant I was 15 min early or 15 min late). I tried the door. It was locked, so I sat in the hallway waiting for the prof to arrive and open it.

3. About 5 min later another student arrived. Typically no one, not even the prof, gets to an 8:30am class more than a few minutes early. (Protip - 8:30 classes dont really start till 8:40)

I was about to mention it was locked...but they opened it and walked in

4. Huh, I thought. I must done the timeless classic: push-when-I-shoulda-pulled.

You idiot ryan. Ah well.

But then the next class the exact same thing happened.

I got there early, pushed AND pulled the door. This time it was definitely locked....

5. Another student arrived a few minutes later. I was waiting by the door and as they approached I mentioned oh its locked, we will have to wait for the prof.

They said are you sure? .... They pulled on the door and it OPENED!

6. They gave me a chuckle and pitying smile, mentioning I probably pushed when I shoulda pulled.

Don't worry about they said, but I was already headed off the deep end. I couldn't think about anything else the entire day. Was I a complete idiot? Did I not pull hard enough?

7. The next class I got there early as per usual (but a bit later than i usually do thanks to a late bus. A key detail), this time I wasn't the first one there. There was a student waiting by the door. They gave me a confident - "It's locked!"

8. But there was no way in way in hell I wasn't trying this door. It was arch-nemesis at this point. I reached for the door, gave it gentle pull, and it opened easily. I collapsed to my knees and wept with joy.

9. I looked at face of student who was shaking their head and laughing "Wow. I tried it multiple times".

Don't worry about it, I said, it's a tricky door. Same exact thing happened to me last class. I think you just have to pull softly, to hard and it jams.

10. At least that was my theory....

I arrived at my usual time next class, ready to kick this doors ass, but it wouldn't goddamnram open again
I tried everything, but it remained shut.

Defeated, I collapsed in the hallway, sitting against the wall.

11. It wasn't me I thought. Its gotta be something else I thought. Maybe I'm on a prank show? It's a pretty good prank.

Another student arrived and headed to the door, I watched with anticipation

12. They couldn't get in! Maybe the door was really locked this time! I was just an idiot the first two times, but this time it was really locked.

13. (It's probably clear to a lot of you what is happening at this point. But this was ten years ago and this was something very strange and new)

14. Another student arrived a few minutes later, smiling at the two of us in the hallway waiting. They were the student that had opened the door the first class. Neither of us sitting in the hall mentioned that the door was locked as they approached it and...

15. They opened it! That fucker. How did they do that. Did they have a key? Were they in on the prank? This couldn't be a prank could it? Why couldn't I figure out how to open a godamn door.

16. I ended up talking to this student after class. One of those conversations where you can see the person's eyes widening and trying to inch away as I tried to explain the problem I was having and politely ask him for door opening tips.

17. Sooon nothing in my life mattered but figuring out this door. In hindsight the answer was obvious, but at the time I was so lost in it that I just kept coming up with crazy theories.

Somedays i could open the door, somedays I couldn't.

18. Somedays someone else could open it, sometimes they couldn't.

Soon there were a handful of us early arrivers who had joined my religion of the mystery of The Door. It's whims were beyond our mortal comprehension. We could only wonder.

19. And then the day happened where everything changed.

Me and a few converts were waiting outside the class as we usually do, to see who The Door would provide their gift to that class. But instead of waiting in the hallway, we were sitting right against The Door

20. With our heads leaned against The Door a fellow believer and I heard a soft metallic click. Suddenly the mysteries of the universe were made clear. A hesitant, shaky handy reached up and tried the handle and THE DOOR OPENED

21. After much discussion the inevitable truth was realized that The Door had some sort of locked timer that unlocked around 8:20am or so.

Our religion was disbanded and we had to live with shame of our past beliefs and practices, but we were excited for this brave new world.

22. Cut to a few weeks later. We had a midterm, so the entire class, including the prof, had arrived early.

None of the true believers were there yet though, having solved the mystery of the door, we saw no need to arrive super early anymore and had gone for coffee.

23. When we arrived to class it was around 8:28 and everyone was in the hallway. We knew exactly what was happening. The prof was standing by the door on their phone, very stressed. Talking frantically about the door was not open.

24. This was our moment. One of us reached out, smiling despite themselves at all "Oh its locked" "We tried it a bunch of times" comments. Preparing for a miracle.

They gently pulled and the door opened easily and the looks on all their faces made my descent to hell worth it.