No matter where you attended college, there is a good chance that you had to share a dorm with a weirdo during your freshman year. I know I certainly did. Move-in day is like playing the lottery. You locate the dorm room that you have been assigned, and then you meet the person that you are going to have to share it with for the next 9 months. Sometimes it works out great and you guys are perfectly matched. More often than not, you end up with a person who couldn’t be more different than yourself. They are likely from a different part of the state or country, their values and interests don’t mesh with yours, and it is incredibly awkward at first. That initial month or two living together is often a series of uncomfortable events as you navigate how to share a very small room with another human being.
Adaptability is one of our greatest strengths as a species. We learn to change our behaviors and habits in order to fit into new situations. It can take some time, but eventually, humans will adapt to a new environment or circumstance. College dorms are a perfect example. Although you may never truly like the person you share a dorm with, chances are that you will learn to live with that person. You will grow to tolerate their annoying habits. You will figure out a way to manage your shared space in a way that benefits both parties. There will no doubt be some give and take, you will have to negotiate things, but most reasonable people can eventually come to an understanding and agreement. It’s never perfect, but you make it work for those 9 months that you have to live together.
We are now almost 2 years into the COVID Pandemic. The fact that the virus persists despite the availability of vaccines and treatments is a testament to its staying power. The coronavirus is not going to disappear. Trying to completely eradicate it is an exercise in futility. We tried shutting down the economy, we forced everyone to wear masks, we have attempted to mandate vaccines. Although our mitigation efforts have helped, the virus continues to spread. I think it is time we took a page from our Freshman year in college. We need to accept our reality, and then learn to live with it.
My advice to everyone is this: do whatever you need to do to be healthy, and then go about your life. If you have access to the vaccine, take it. If you don’t regularly exercise, start doing so. If your diet is shitty, eat better. If watching news coverage of the pandemic stresses you out, change the channel. There are plenty of simple things that you can do to improve your chances of survival. Once you do those things, you really don’t need to worry that much about it. COVID is just like that Freshman year in college. Once you learn to live with your weird dormmate, it’s not as awkward and uncomfortable. You may never be good friends, but chances are that you will both grow as people and come to appreciate your differences.
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