Living With Roommates–Part 3

I had a meeting the other day with my roommates about things that have been grating on them lately.  Useful to do, illuminating to be a part of. One continuing point of contention was my continual drying of herbs, orange peels and more on the line I had set up in the kitchen.  I was proud of myself for the personal growth I've been working on the last few years, in that I was finally able to say "I'm not going to stop drying herbs" when the point got brought up again. Living with roommates can be tricky, especially when your values don't align. But I finally realized that just because our interests don't align, doesn't mean I have to compromise anything that isn't completely invasive.  There is no major issue (smell, space, etc) emanating from having one string with hanging herbs or more in the kitchen, and so I didn't back down from having the issue brought forth. In standing up for myself, my roommates must have realized that they just didn't like my aesthetic choices/values and realized that a string of drying objects isn't hurting them. And the amount of stuff I can do with something that simple is fantastic.  A proud moment for me in roommate-dom! And a valid lesson too, I suppose–it's always easier making choices when you live with those whose values align with yours, but it's never impossible to do, even if roommates don't understand. Communication and self-awareness, though, are key.