Together under one roof

While preparing my return to Tallahassee after a successful summer internship in Mobile, Ala., my sister called me and joked about me coming home to a roommate in my apartment.

I’ve had the pleasure of living by myself for about a year but I knew that at any given time, the apartment facility could stick someone else in the vacant room next door to my bedroom.

I wasn’t shocked to find I had a roommate; I was shocked to see that it was girl.

Were my parent’s shocked? Surprisingly no. Did they advise me to talk to the front office?

No. Did I advise myself to talk to the front office? Yes. Immediately.

Although I placed “no co-ed” on my preference card, the problem occurred through my roommate’s name. Her name could easily go for a girl’s name or a boy’s name. The placing staff obviously went for the latter.

I wasn’t upset, but I was concerned. Out of respect, I talked to the office in case my roommate did not know I was male and would feel uncomfortable living with one.

The office told me she probably knew I was a boy, but said they would replace her on my behalf. I told them that would not be necessary as she has already taken the time to move her belongings in and school starts next week.

My humble abode instantly turned to our humble abode.

Telling friends about my new roomie, my female friends laughed and asked, “How is your girlfriend taking it?” My male friends, however, gave me a handshake with a big grin, asked me if she was “fine,” and preceded to say this was going to be a fun semester for me.

Needless to say, my roommate said her boyfriend was upset about the situation and as far as how my girlfriend took it? She broke up with me for a little bit. So why were our significant others so upset about this ordeal of having a roommate of the opposite sex? Obvious reason could be the risk of being attracted to one another.

But taking that risk falls under trusting who the person is in a relationship with. It seemed to me that both our significant others had a small trust issue.

My parents must trust me full-heartedly. I’ve been taught that living with the opposite sex that is not kin to you and is not married to you is wrong. But I guess my situation is a little different from those who chose to live together and 0are in a relationship without marriage.

It is arguable that living together is wrong. While some say that living together is a must before marriage because one must see the person’s living habits before saying, “I do,” living together before marriage for couples could be wrong if that couple is avoiding premarital sex.

I’m pretty sure my parents would sound the alarm if I ever told them I was moving in with my girlfriend because sex would be implied.Let’s face it.

While resisting temptation is a possibility, we are human. The best way to resist temptation is by taking yourself out the situation.

Living together is placing you in a tempting situation to have sex and its like blowing cigarette smoke into a recovering smoker’s face. Chances are they will light one up after that.

The Bible doesn’t really say anything about living with the opposite sex but it says a lot about premarital sex.I Corinthians 6:18 reads: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”