Roommate update/sociology

He is now less annoying by an order of magnitude, which leaves me more amused than annoyed. For example, had he talked through the entire episode of 'How I Met Your Mother' that ran on my laptop, it would have been annoying. What he did instead was just funny, in a 'who are you and where do you get this $hit' (rhetorical question) kind of way.

The episode, which, by the way, is worthwhile for some of the charts, is titled 'right place, right time,' because that's the theme. Particularly, how small events and circumstances lead you places and times that determine bigger events in your life. Bob Sagat narrated as much when roommate decided to enlighten me with, "That's Hinduism. It's philosophy."

It is a lot of things. It is hardly a novel concept, nor one left unexplored by the entertainment industry. What it is, in this instant, is an episode of 'How I Met Your Mother.' But I appreciate your attempt to turn it into a teachable moment.

***
Last night I mentioned that the behavior has changed for the better, but the paradigm has not: he still fails to either understand or respect that prolonged social interaction is the last thing I want when I'm unwinding after work, which can take the form of watching tv, reading, or doing a crossword, among other things. Very occasionally, I'm up for interacting with another human, in which case I will make arrangements with a friend, i.e. someone that I have let into my life upon determining that I like his or her company, rather than someone to whom I have let a room in my house because I deemed him capable of paying rent and otherwise suitable as a housemate. But most of the time, I prefer the company of my laptop (and the television that streams through it), my newspapers, and my magazines. Really. I am not just telling myself that to make myself feel better. And I haven't just told him that to depersonalize my lack of willingness to interact with him--he's an interesting person, and gradually, I'd like to hear about his life. But I'm less willing to do so if I don't think I can escape from the conversation.

But I digress. I was telling you that I am hardly starved for human interaction. Observing as much is not social rocket science. Then, from whence this:

RM: Do you have plans for the weekend?
A.: Well, I'm having that girls' night on Friday...
RM: Oh, that's good. At least you'll have some company for that one night.

He impresses me, again, with his obtuseness (but he does cease and desist from further conversation, which is what matters). Just like answering his questions with monotonous, one-word responses while keeping my reading material planted in front of my face does not communicate, 'please keep talking to me,' my lifestyle over the last few weeks doesn't exactly communicate either, 'I go crazy when I'm alone for an evening' or, 'finding companionship is a struggle.' I'm actually quite happy with the balance of people time and 'me' time in my life (particularly upon the restoration of that balance now that he has backed off). I think one reason that he fascinates me (although not enough for me to want to talk to him most of the time) is that he reminds me of my mother in many ways: the obliviousness to social cues, the delusion that you can overcome another person's hesitation (whether to engage in conversation, apply to google, etc.) by brute persistence, and now, the failure to overcome the perspective that everyone else shares your preferences and wishes. It's particularly stark since he's figured out that I'm an introvert... and he knows what that means, in his head. But that knowledge can't overcome his bias that, in spite of everything he's observed about me, I must feel the same way he does about company.

With that, I am quite happy to stop blogging about my roommate, who will take off tomorrow morning and return not until Sunday. I'll accept the lack of opportunity for personality analysis in exchange for the lack of company.