Dear Future Roommate,
You are one of my best friends. We have similar interests. We have similar sleeping habits. We work well together. We've made lists as to why being roommates is a good idea. I love you to pieces, and I cannot wait until we're roommates in two short weeks.
Now, having said that, you should know I'm getting pretty nervous.
While we've been friends for a while now, we haven't actually lived together yet. And every adult I've talked to about living with friends says something like this: "You might live to regret it."
They talk about how living with your friend can cause a lot of tension, how spending so much time together can have more of a negative effect than a positive one.
The word I've latched on to is might. I might live to regret it. That sounds pretty wishy-washy to me, don't you think? It's not a definite. It's not for certain. There is, given who we are as a pair, a very good chance that it'll be one of the best decisions we've ever made. We could come out of this even better friends than we were before. We're smart and reasonable. Any obstacle or disagreement that comes our way can be talked about rationally and resolved.
And yet...
And yet there's another side to that wishy-washy might. That we will regret it. That living together won't be as easy as we had hoped. Maybe I like the room colder than you and keep the window open too often. Maybe you leave your clothes everywhere. Maybe we're both in the room too often and need some time apart.
But, honestly, when it comes down to it, I have a gut feeling that we're going to be fine. With that in mind, I have created a Roommate's Oath of sorts that I plan to follow.
I pledge to go to bed at a reasonable hour so you can sleep.
I pledge to wash my dishes promptly so I don't stink up our room.
I pledge to keep my clothes confined to my hamper and my dresser.
I pledge not to blast my music without your consent.
I pledge to be respectful of your space and possessions.
I pledge to give you time alone, if requested.
I pledge to be reasonable and rational during any and all disagreements.
And above all, I pledge to be the best friend - and roommate - I know how to be.
Love,
Your Future Roommate
