it's unfortunate

That's really the nicest way I can put it, unfortunate. The situation has taken a sad, but inevitable turn. I preface this post by saying that this probably isn't the wisest place to discuss such matters, but at this point, I don't care. I don't care if it leaks out and the subject of this post finds out. I don't care if that person becomes infuriated and hunts me down to then smash my face in. I've become rather apathetic to how this person might feel. At this point, if it doesn't get written down somewhere, I will resort to gouging my eyes out with a rusty spoon. So why not share the sentiment with others. I must emphasize the fact that the tone is not from a source of hatred, but an amalgamation of confusion, frustration, and ire. And for the sake of anonymity, I shall call this person Sue. 

I start off by saying that the whole situation is a rather difficult one, progressing to its unfortunate state because of a lack of, I suppose, research. There were three people involved, and all of us were in need of a home. So with a few emails here, and a couple of phone calls there, the three of us came together to become roommates. Huh. We all come from different areas of the country and all have different upbringings. But all of us were under the impression that each of us possessed the skills of a normal human being. Hard lesson learned, assumptions should never be made. Ever. 

My first reaction upon our meeting was a positive one. Regarding appearance, it was not what I expected, but that's neither here nor there. And in terms of personality, it was cool and laid back. An easy-going sort. Okay fine. So we all get along swimmingly. Excited about new people and new places, we remain tolerant of any shortcomings we detect. But when red flags start popping up, maybe I should've had a stronger reaction. 

Flag number one, the trip to Target. I love Target just as much as the next person. It has everything you could want. It's clean, fun, and the aisles are wide enough to squeeze in more than one tiny dwarf. (All those who've experienced a shopping trip to Publix in South Beach know what I am referring to.) Target's a wonderful place. But what can possibly necessitate a 5 hour stay? That's the length of ten sitcom episodes, two full-length feature films, or a full school day. We had already prepared a list of what we needed, and the aisles are labeled. Any discrepancy as to where things are can be easily remedied by the people that work there. I met a helpful lad named Jose who was more than willing to direct me to the linens. All the while, the one who had so generously driven us to the store was patiently waiting, wandering aimlessly for 5 hours. I do believe that there was time for lunch and a quick nap. 

Flag number two occurred at our next group trip. This one was shorter, but still maintaining a decent length at Publix. I must reiterate that the aisles at this store are of an asinine size, making the experience even more excruciating than it would've been had there been ample space for a small bunny. This place provides us with food. Three hours searching for food is certainly superfluous unless you are to hunting wild game. And given that we are in an era of processed foods and packaged goods, hunting and gathering is not required. The decision between store brand foods and name brands should take no more than 5 seconds, the length of a quick pee. But it shouldn't take 3 hours. Again, there were two people waiting ever so patiently for us. 

These incidents occurred during the tolerance stage of being with new people. To clarify, there are a few points during the time in which you meet a new group of people, or an individual. Of course at the beginning, everyone is tolerant of everyone. Flaws are overlooked, and things that you would typically call out are passed by so as not to avoid any sort of arguments. The second stage is characterized by polite confrontation. You hint at, or kindly remark upon the issues that irk you. But never a harsh statement and everyone's feelings are spared. To get to the next stage, there are a few steps that need to be taken. It's a slow progression to reach that third point which can be the tipping point of the whole relationship. The steps are more like silent battles. Each bothersome incident is silently noted and stored somewhere to be later used as fuel and motivation to take action, or ammunition for an ensuing argument, depending on the resulting situation. For us, it became the former. So as the steps are taken to the next stage, and as the incidents accumulate, we reach the threshold. The point at which something needs to be done or said to alter the situation. 

A multitude of incidents took place from stages two to three, but as this is getting rather lengthy, I will spare you those details. The path we chose in the third stage was to request removal. Sue was to no longer live with the the two of us. A quick and easy solution, so we thought. The process of removal is still in progress and has proven to be more of a stress inducer than a resolution to our problems. Silly of me to have expected something simple and unproblematic. Time issues, money issues, and every other sort of issue that could come up, is. It's all sorts of bad, and there is seemingly no light at the end of this tunnel. Only time will tell how this conundrum will be resolved. 

Now that you've been caught up with the situation, a more detailed explanation of the successive steps will be shared. Stay tuned for the adventures, or rather, misadventures of two roommates and their problem called Sue.