Peeing on the floor in the middle of the night
Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend Jenny, and we somehow managed to get on the topic of why she turned down the invitation to live with me and my other three suitemates (Amy, Kirsten, and Caroline) last year. Previously, she had led me to believe that this decision was based on the frequent use of alcohol by the aforementioned suitemates. In other words, Jenny doesn't drink. The others do, and quite a lot.
Last year, I expressed to Jenny an annoyance with my suitemates about the fact that they were getting drunk practically every night and driving me near insane. To this, she said, "Ha! That's why I didn't want to live with you!" And I smiled and nodded and resumed life.
But yesterday, I found out that this was only partially true. We were talking about books and pleasure reading, and I admitted that I don't like to do any during the school year because I feel too guilty about reading something that isn't for class. If I'm going to read, then it's going to be "Castle Rackrent" or "Ariel" or something. Not the new Dave Eggers (although I'm dyyyyyyyying to start it!).
Then she said, "But you watch tv, right?"
"Well, yes," I answered. It was a guilty admission.
She then kind of shrugged and gestured a hand as if to say, "Well, there you go."
TV and me. Yes, okay, we've had a love affair. But I'm not addicted. I can pull myself away at any time. I did so last spring when I pretty much evicted myself from my suite, swore off everything but the attention of Leon, and earned myself the best grades of my college career. But I wasn't rebelling against TV. I was rebelling against my suite.
Still, though, I was able to turn the damn thing off.
Evidently, though, Jenny doesn't give me this much credit. She told me that, yes, the alcohol might have been an issue, and, yes, so was the cattiness of my suitemates. But what really told her that she didn't want to live with ME was my constant television-watching.
Umm.
I had never been condemned for this before. I mean, I admit that it's not one of my finest traits, but to be turned down because of it? Incredible. Plus, I don't even watch that much. No more than a couple of hours a day. If that. Besides, this is America. We watch television. That's what we do. Why, you could practically say that Jenny didn't want to be my roommate because I'm just too damn patriotic.
No, but really. It shocked me that someone found a flaw in me that I had not yet paid attention to. Not much else would have surprised me. But, hey, mess with my Survivor? That's just not right.
Last year, I expressed to Jenny an annoyance with my suitemates about the fact that they were getting drunk practically every night and driving me near insane. To this, she said, "Ha! That's why I didn't want to live with you!" And I smiled and nodded and resumed life.
But yesterday, I found out that this was only partially true. We were talking about books and pleasure reading, and I admitted that I don't like to do any during the school year because I feel too guilty about reading something that isn't for class. If I'm going to read, then it's going to be "Castle Rackrent" or "Ariel" or something. Not the new Dave Eggers (although I'm dyyyyyyyying to start it!).
Then she said, "But you watch tv, right?"
"Well, yes," I answered. It was a guilty admission.
She then kind of shrugged and gestured a hand as if to say, "Well, there you go."
TV and me. Yes, okay, we've had a love affair. But I'm not addicted. I can pull myself away at any time. I did so last spring when I pretty much evicted myself from my suite, swore off everything but the attention of Leon, and earned myself the best grades of my college career. But I wasn't rebelling against TV. I was rebelling against my suite.
Still, though, I was able to turn the damn thing off.
Evidently, though, Jenny doesn't give me this much credit. She told me that, yes, the alcohol might have been an issue, and, yes, so was the cattiness of my suitemates. But what really told her that she didn't want to live with ME was my constant television-watching.
Umm.
I had never been condemned for this before. I mean, I admit that it's not one of my finest traits, but to be turned down because of it? Incredible. Plus, I don't even watch that much. No more than a couple of hours a day. If that. Besides, this is America. We watch television. That's what we do. Why, you could practically say that Jenny didn't want to be my roommate because I'm just too damn patriotic.
No, but really. It shocked me that someone found a flaw in me that I had not yet paid attention to. Not much else would have surprised me. But, hey, mess with my Survivor? That's just not right.