Rooms

I have written about two dozen or more e-mails this week to strangers with rooms in Portland. I have ended up with about 4 responses, had two interviews, and have not found the perfect fit. That is not to say that it won't come along. I just need to cultivate a practice of patience and keep the faith that the right thing will fall into place.

In order to cultivate this process, for each ad I respond I write an individualized e-mail, addressing specific points in the ad and highlighting different desirable qualities. For the various ads that express need for in independent, mostly unseen roommate, I mention that I will be staying with my partner a lot of the time. For people looking for "someone to be a part of our little community, have family dinners, etc.," I mention that I am looking for new friends and a sense of community since I'm new to town. For prospects with dogs, who usually post pictures of their dogs, I self-identify as a dog-lover and go on to praise how particularly cute their dog is. Through this all, I cannot say that I am being deceptive, just not comprehensive. I don't have the time to respond with long, descriptive essays about my values, habits, personality, idiosyncrasies, aspirations, abilities or interests. That sort of information is revealed in increments, and I doubt that the best writers could possibly suggest a sense of this information without being long-winded. So I'm just clinging to my strengths: punctuation, complete sentences, a moderately sophisticated vocabulary and flattery.

I guess we're in the middle of the same project: strangers, homes, new places, and negotiation. There's no guarantee that I am even dealing with people who speak the same language (of course I am being more figurative here). Put the good energy out for my search and I'll do the same for you. Best of luck.