There is a famous quote that says “hell is living with other people.” I believe in the concept of Hell, and I’ve definitely had my share of roomates. And there have been times that I could totally agree with this quote.

As much as I can remember (and there have been more than a few I would like to forget) I have lived with at least 90 people, not including family, since high school. This includes a sorority house that I got out of as soon as I could. I’ve lived with your typical sorority girls, best friends, strangers, foreign exchange students, gang members, drug addicts, nerds, straight edge Christians, and coworkers. I’ve found them through friends, work, mutual interests, and Craigslist.

I have found that generally, the ones I knew the least, I ended up liking the best. The ones I knew the most or had the most ties with before signing a lease, ended up on the worst terms.

Of course, everyone thinks they are a GREAT roommate. There are few people who will admit that either their parents raised them with little interest in or care for other people or little interest or care for cleanliness. These are the two qualifications for “good roommate juju.”

I don’t wish to name the people who mark my “terrible roommate hall of fame” by name, but just to give a few classifications of bad roommates. Maybe those of us who see eye-to-eye on this can form a support group of some kind. In the end, its been a fascinating experience to live with other people. I’ve learned tons about them, and even more about myself. But we’ll get to that later.

On to the Hall of Fame:

Bad Roomie #1: Broke as a Terrible Joke Roomie

  • This is the one that never has money for bills or rent, and acts super suprised when you bring it up. This is always confusing to me, because rent and bills are always due on the same day of the month. Are they expecting a conversation like “yeah, the rent was due on the first last month, but this month, we were thinking it could be due on whenever you felt like paying it!” …………yeah no.

Bad Roomie #2: Five Finger Discount in the Fridge Roomie

  • This is the one that sober/inebriated has determined that’s what’s yours is mine is mine, and all of a sudden you find that previously unopened gallon of milk depleted, the tampons are gone, the ice cream you’d been saving has started to magically evaporate…….they never own up, they never replace, and when confronted, its either genuine surprise or really bad lying. I admit that during my “dark years” this was occasionally me, when I would wake up to find I’d tried to make a bean sandwich or a milkshake in the middle of the night. Sorry Jenni! :)

Bad Roomie #3: Live-in boyfriend Roomie

  • He doesn’t have a job, or friends, or any redeeming qualities.  His purpose in life is apparently to hold your couch down to the floor and prevent it from…floating to the ceiling? He has your tv channels memorized. He leaves the seat up. He takes away your God-given right to walk around without a bra and underwear underneath your clothes. He is…the live-in boyfriend.         I never understand why they’re together, or why she thinks its okay to ruin my living space with his lame-ness. I don’t want to hear them doing whatever at night, or arguing during the day, or her talking about how awful he is, but having to whisper about it, because he’s in the house. I don’t want to see boy underwear, or have my bathroom time compromised by his morning dump. Not okay. Ever.

 

Phew, that felt nice. There are so many memories to churn through for this one!! We shall make it a series. Until next time – be good to those you live with. Its never easy, but it must be done.