My House Is A Mess

I place the blame on my roommates

Sarah Ouellet
4 min readSep 6, 2022

Yes, I offered them shelter, a place to live, including my soon-to-be husband. There is no denying my culpability. Had I realized the burden their presence would create in my life, would I have willingly embraced their entrance into my quiet life?

Did I mention, that aside from my husband, English is not the native language of my roommates? The words they have learned are few, but they effectively convey their intent or need. When communication is lacking, a tilt of a head, a loving look, or a quick touch on my arm or leg suffices.

Sweet, nervous Minnie, was born a feral cat.

For the most part, they are a congenial bunch. Some of them join me on the couch to browse the morning paper. Occasionally, I remind them I get first dibs on each section as I pay for it. Sitting on it to prevent access is not permitted. Nor is ripping sections of articles I have not read.

Tucker, ignoring my rules, daring me to object.

I do not wish to malign their characters or habits, but they are a messy crowd, husband included. Sometimes I feel like I live with…

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Sarah Ouellet

Retired passionate animal and nature lover. Feeder of stray cats, rescuing those who want to be rescued.