Abeera Anwar
Life in shared housing often comes with compromises, but how far should one person bend to accommodate another’s needs? That’s the question I’ve been struggling with ever since an encounter with my old neighbor. She had an autistic son who struggled with noise sensitivity, and while I understood the challenges she was facing, her request for me to completely change my daily routine left me torn. I wasn’t blasting music at midnight or throwing parties — I was just living a normal college student’s life, showering, blow-drying my hair, and vacuuming once a week. Yet, when she asked me to stop altogether, I had to wonder… was I being selfish for saying no, or was she being unreasonable for expecting me to silence myself completely?
Life in the Apartment Complex
The Unexpected Request
Caught Between Compassion and Reality
The Guilt That Lingers
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Looking back, I can’t shake the guilt I sometimes feel, but I also know that her request was something no tenant could realistically fulfill. I tried to be polite, respectful, and accommodating within reason, but I couldn’t sacrifice my own responsibilities and wellbeing for something beyond my control. This situation left me questioning whether I failed as a compassionate neighbor or whether I was simply standing up for my right to live normally. In the end, I’m still left wondering: was I wrong for not restructuring my entire life to cater to someone else’s child, or was it unfair that I was even asked to?
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