Reflections
Reflections
January 4, 2015
I used to live with a roommate when I lived down in LA. We shared a kitchen but most of the kitchenware was mine. A lot of the times, he would use my pans and wouldn't wash them for the longest time. He would use my nice (expensive) kitchen knives but fail to clean them after use. The stove would never be clean after he was done cooking. Even one of my pans was burned and the Teflon started to come off. I felt he was the source of the conflict.
When I analyzed the situation, I felt like he didn't respect my things. If it were his things, he would take really good care of it. I was angry and also disappointed. I try to treat his things with respect when I borrow or use them so I feel the same should be shown to me.
I tried to ignore it and brush the problem away. I just did my part in the kitchen. I would find myself cleaning the kitchen more than I should. I guess I thought that if he saw me doing all these things, maybe he would do the same. I would always clean up after myself after cooking. I thought I could lead by example.
If I could go back, I would maybe try to bring up the situation to him and just explain how I felt disrespected since he did not respect my things as compared to his things.
I tend to try to avoid conflicts as much as possible. This means I try to bury my emotions in hopes of them going away. I know this is a not a good thing to do as it will only surface again. I need to stop and think about why I am feeling that certain way when I encounter a conflict. I need to present my concerns to others and try to convey the problem from my view. I think this way I can better resolve conflicts in the future.
