Coming home after a good spurt of studying, I walked into the kitchen went into a little fit of rage, despite my very chill mood. There was silverware and a glass in the sink. I'm sure you think I'm crazy now. I've been fighting a battle over the last seven months to keep the kitchen clean. Of all the rooms in the house, I want the kitchen (at very least) to be clean. So I volunteered, for $60 a month, to do the dishes. All I asked was for everyone to do their part: get stuff to the sink, throw away trash, and put things where I wanted them (to keep the mess manageable). Every couple of days, a few of my roommates choose not to listen to me. I've put up signs. They continue to disregard them. Why does it matter? One lazily misplaced glass means at the end of the day, both sides of the sink are piled up and the mess spills over to the rest of the kitchen... no exaggerations This has probably happened more than twice a week on average, sometimes every single day for several days. It boils down to two college graduates (UCI and UCSD) that either can't read signs or are consistently inconsiderate in regards to communal living space. I wouldn't be as mad if they couldn't read. It's not just the kitchen.. it's the bathroom, the dining room, the living room, the electricity usage, the parking situation...
And so I've written one more sign that says "READ THE DAMN SIGNS" and taped it up in clear view. I then proceeded to kick the empty bottle that was sitting on the counter into the dining room and throw the potholder left on the counter out of the kitchen.

Maybe my reaction was slightly unwarranted, but I think there's an underlying issue of respect... or lack thereof. I'll keep fighting it.

Why am I writing this? I guess it's to show that sometimes, you have to step up and assert yourself, whether it be against ignorant roommates, strangers, or even friends. I believe that sometimes you should turn the other cheek, but if you know that someone has the capacity to be a better person, you shouldn't be afraid to butt heads over what you believe is right.

I think the main character in American Psycho said something to the extent of "I like to live my life with intensity." Maybe the context was different in the movie, but I feel like that line fits me, at least at certain times. Once in a while, let your spark become a fire.