You know, like on "Three's Company?" The reason I ask is because I’m thinking about getting a roommate. This may not be an earth-shattering decision for some, but for me, it’s definitely life changing. See how I can talk about something fairly pedestrian and still turn it into drama? It’s a gift…and a curse, as Monk says.
I’ve lived by myself now for nearly four years, and I’m not going to lie to you – I love it. I love the fact that the mess I leave in the morning will not have turned into a bigger mess by the time I get home – no extra dishes in the sink, no random clothes strewn across the floor. Barring the occasional sock that the cats drag around because they love socks. I love the fact that I can leave a mess and not feel bad about it. I love that I can leave my shoes wherever I want to and that I can take off my clothes and leave them wherever I took them off. Sometimes I’m a big slob, I admit it. I like that the only reason that there aren’t any eggs left is because I ate the last one and forgot to buy more. I can watch whatever I want to on tv (VERY important) and if I want to go to bed at 9, I can and it’s dark and quiet in the house. I could seriously go on for days about what I love about living alone, but I think you get the point.
The upside to a roommate is that I would have someone to talk to other than the cats. The downside is that sometimes I don’t like to talk. Oh shut up, there are so times like that! The upside is that I would have extra income and someone to split the monthly expenses with. The downside would be that I would have to share. Sometimes I don’t like to share.
To be honest, I’m pretty wary of having a roommate, ever since the Roommate Debacle of ’01 in which my seemingly responsible roommate turned out to be a total flake and the upshot of THAT story is that she got evicted after we lived there for, oh, two months and she also owes me $1,100 – which I know I will never ever see. She's the reason I started living alone in the first place. So you can understand why I’m a bit gun shy.
Kendra says that I would hate having a roommate because I’ve lived alone for so long. And that’s my fear – both that I would hate having a roommate, and that I’ve lived alone for too long. I don’t want to live alone forever – I certainly don’t plan on doing that, but frankly, with the way things have been going, it’s a distinct possibility. I don’t want to turn into some eccentric spinster who is no fun at all. I know someone who is just like that – she lives downstairs and I call her “Crazy Neighbor” because she IS a little bit crazy and she is very eccentric (but very nice) and has lived alone for a long time. Ack. Whenever I think about it, I think about the girl in “Say Anything” singing her angry song: “That’ll NEVER be me, that’ll NEVER be me, that’ll never NEVER be me – nooo. NEVER. EVER. No never ever ever – don’t you ever think it!” And then it is her when she talks to Joe. Sigh.
Oh, and the reason I was thinking of getting a roommate is because I’m trying to find a new job. Strangely enough, jobs in the “Non-Profit” sector are also notorious for not paying worth crap. I guess that’s what I get for trying to be a do-gooder. Anyway, if I want to find another job, chances are I might have to take a pay cut and I’d like to continue living comfortably without the stress of worrying about making the mortgage. Wow. Isn’t growing up FUN?
3 comments:
Hmm...tough one. But I am leaning toward the fact that there are few times in life when you can live alone and do whatever you want. That's priceless. Embrace it! I'm biased though because I am living alone (plus dog) for the first time and it is delicious. :)
Honestly, I just got tired of having the dishes conversation with roommates. For me, it's worth the money so I never have to have that conversation.
You could always get one of those roommates who sticks to his/her own life. You know the kind -- doesn't come out of room except to make dinner and then retreats back to own tv. It would be like having an elusive cat.
While the money is nice, I do agree with your points about your own mess, quiet time, etc.
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