Just because ______________ [insert roommate’s name] is dying from ___________________ [insert disease’s name] doesn’t mean I will, too. As a roommate and as the person in closest proximity to the diseased, I will go to Wawa and fetch him/her the appropriate amount of Gatorade. If he/she throws up, I will hold his/her hair. And if things get bad, I will carry him/her like a small, helpless child to SHS. However, I am not my roommate’s keeper. I am not obligated to a) miss classes, b) stay in on a Friday night or c) make small talk with his/her mom over the phone to take care of him/her. I can choose to do this, but I cannot be guilt–tripped by _________________ [insert roommate’s name] if I do not.
Because I am also a human being, and I deserve the chance to be healthy. (Repeat six times).
Amen.
