My roommate has been sick for the past few days now. So far I have managed to not get even a sniffle yet I hear him coughing constantly in the living room while I keep myself sequestered in my bedroom because I can...because all my stuff is in here...and because it's something I'm used to doing and that is, living out of a single room. You would think, being sick and all, that he would be sleeping (or at least resting) more to help speed the recovery or, at the very least, spend his sick time in his fucking room. But no, he's out in the living room spreading his viruses about while typing away on his computer...something he is perfectly capable of doing in his own bedroom since it's a laptop and he has a desk in there...oh, but that's right, he still has a desktop computer that he NEVER uses but insists on keeping as his "porn computer". Alias TBD told me he is not using that computer for that purpose and is instead, using the laptop which means he has a desktop computer on ALL THE TIME (seriously, it's on 24/7), on his desk, in his bedroom, unused and taking up space that could be used instead for a laptop.
My roommate has definitely got me thinking about something though... In two weeks time, I'll be living on my own for the first time in my entire life. I'll actually be able to live in more than one room. I have no idea what I am going to do with myself. I'm still awaiting keys for the apartment so I haven't been able to take accurate measurements but once I have, I will actually be planning out furniture arrangement for MORE than one room. It's unreal. My bedroom, for the first time in my life, may actually become a place that I use primarily for sleeping and my living room...a living room, seriously...this is difficult to wrap my mind around. The closest I have ever come to this was when I was living with my Best Friend and while we did fight a lot, she was much bigger on sharing living space (though not closet space) so I did move considerably more freely around that apartment than I do here.
When I moved in with my current roommate, knowing I was getting the big bedroom, I ceded space in the living room for him to store his stuff. Unfortunately it seems he took that cession with gusto and decided to occupy the living room as a de facto bedroom much to my chagrin. I look forward to the end of this arrangement.
A major regret I have with this arrangement is that I never got to enjoy doing only 50% of the domestic work. I went from less than 5% when living at home, to like 75% when living with my Best Friend, to 95% with my current situation. While I'm glad to know I can handle 100% of the labor, it bugs the shit out of me not to have had a proper work-sharing arrangement...ever.
Certain things concern me living on my own. One is that I am used to being alone already (or at least being left alone) so I am selfish. Not necessarily maliciously selfish but I have become used to doing things a certain way and avoiding accepting help from others as I despise bearing feelings of obligation. At least having someone around, even if they are lazy, almost good-for-nothings, keeps me aware of the existence of others. I worry about my behaviors and tendencies becoming calcified when no one is around to make me consider otherwise. I also worry that I will quickly get used to the arrangement and though I am lonely, become even less interested in doing something about it simply because I have become comfortable with no one telling me how (or causing me to consider alternate ways) to live my life.
But we'll see. For a short while anyway, I think I will enjoy the honeymoon of freedom that will come with my new apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment