Get a roommate, share secrets

Man has more than just a few fears: death, unemployment, getting fat and so on. But I guess that his deepest fear is ending up alone, with no one to talk to and share secrets with.

This primary fear can sometimes lead to strange decisions, such as roommating. An apparently sane person wakes up one sunny day, realising that he or she is alone.

Independence and solitude can seem nice at first, when breaking free from one’s parents: freedom to stay up late, to throw crazy parties and eat junk food – no more veggies at lunch. Forget the constant nagging of mother, who claims that you should wear clean socks every day and that your friends are a little weird.

But after a while, one tends to get tired of this extended independence, as weekends are long and lonely and you have no one to gossip with. And watching TV by yourself is no fun, even though there are no more restrictions as to certain films you have been longing to see since you were seven.

Therefore, the next step seems obvious to some: look for a roommate to take the solitude away. So you go out of your ways asking friends and acquaintances about a suitable would-be roommate.

In a way, it’s very much like matchmaking: people try to “fix you up” with their friends, out of a sincere wish to see another “happily-roommated” couple.

So, the meetings commence: you try to find things in common, see if you have the same tastes and habits. Does he/she like hot coffee in the morning? What about the bathroom schedule? Does he/she mind loud music?

In a way, girls find it easier to roommate, because there’s lots to talk about: boys, nail polish, boys, diets, boys, clothes, boys, etc. They will always go to clubs together, share clothes and watch soapy movies while stuffing themselves with popcorn.

Moreover, any heartbreak can be cured with tonnes of ice cream and a sympathetic friend that somehow manages to convince you that the “ex” was no good. It’s weird how girls are never willing to share a room with their sister, but they have nothing against a complete stranger.

For guys, roommating is more of a practical solution to money problems than a way to make new friends. They can form a close bound over a beer, though, watching the football games and criticising the players.

However, be careful, because you could always stumble upon some psycho, as it happened to the character played by Bridget Fonda.

Or even worse, you might find a sloppy roommate who drives you crazy by leaving her clothes everywhere, who never washes the dishes or who is simply “not right for you.”