Friday, November 6, 2009

The Common Denominator is Me

Hi. My name is Becky. I'm your new roommate, and three things you should know about me are I'm mean, I'm bigger than you, and I enjoy making people cry.

I am about to share a piece of information that isn’t news to anyone who has lived with me, but has come as quite a stinging slap to me:

I suck as a roommate.

I’ve always operated under the precious delusion I was the one being put upon. Year after year, I would end up with a new batch (sometimes up to 20 different roommates in one year) of girls, and I would think to myself:

These people are seriously flawed.

List of Grievances

1. Loud
2. Dirty
3. Lacking in Musical Talent/Expression (You wouldn’t think this would be a factor, but my roommates are/were privy to my unveiled venomous musical criticism. I’ve been downright insulting.)
4. Demanding
5. Temperamental
6. Hormonal
7. Rude
8. Ignorant
9. Unstable
10. Not Very Bright
11. Cantankerous
12. Possess a Myopic Perspective
13. An Intrusion on My Space
14. Incapable of Changing The Toilet Paper Dispenser
15. Insidious
16. Temporary
Naturally, I never once fell into any of these categories. I have never been culpable.
Unfortunately, the years are passing, and I’ve started to see a factor in my roommate failures: The Common Denominator is Me.

4 comments:

ldsjaneite said...

One flaw in the equation: I thought you were one of my BEST roommates EVER! But maybe that's a kindred spirit thing.

Seriously, there are days I wish I had a Becky-Heidi night to come...but I don't get one. I mean, I try to have them. But when there's no Becky, well.... What's the point then? And so many times I reflect on some of the best roommate moments I'd ever had. It was a very sad day for me when you moved out.

But I totally understand having plenty of the roommates whom I did NOT mesh with. At all.

Becky said...

Oh, bless you Heidi.

This post was written in the heat of the moment. The night before, I began a "discussion" with one of my roommates that resulted in a three day silent treatment.

I've actually gotten a lot of verbal responses with regard to this post, and most have questioned my harsh criticism. I don't feel I was being too severe. We are all of us dark creatures at some or many parts of our lives. I have been all of these things, and so has everyone else.

However, you should know how much I adored having you as a roommate. Your influence has been far reaching. And as I reflect on my academic experiences, and the strong possibilities of a finished masters (Dec. 2010) and four more years for the Ph.D., I feel incredibly blessed to have had a true friend like you as a roommate.

Fran said...

Beckers,

What insight you share, but I do not think you are the only one who should take all the "blame". Just remember that communication and hormones don't always see eye to eye.

Mumzie and Popsicle

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

I wonder what it would have been like to have you for a roommate? Especially since I grossly lack in the musical expression section. =) Of course, every time I talk to you you have a way of making me laugh hysterically. I love it.
I always thought I was a pretty good roommate.
But one thing marriage has taught me, I make a pretty lousy one sometimes. Especially since "communication and hormones don't always see eye to eye."