I think it’s interesting how people tend to play similar roles in all of their relationships.
For instance, when it comes to my romantic relationships and friendships, I have a few designated responsibilities.
I’m generally the practical, eager to plan, and emotionally sensitive person in the relationship. I like to take care of people in every way, and play a very nurturing role to most of my close associates. Because I am so mindful of other people’s feelings, they tend to seek me out during difficult emotional times. In fact, it’s not unusual for me to have friends knocking at my door at 1 a.m. with life crises. After a few years of this nighttime disturbance, however, I started to wonder why people were always randomly showing up at my place. I would be more than happy to come to their residence if they needed something. When my friend Owen showed up last week, I politely asked him why he felt so comfortable at my place. His response surprised me. Although I was always a true comfort to him, there was another reason why he preferred being in my home. It was the central heating and cooling system. Apparently, I’m not only sensitive to feelings but also indoor air quality. He began going on and on about my amazing central heating system and how comforting the warmth felt on a cool night. Then, he mentioned the fresh and clean nature of my air conditioning system and told me it was obvious that I took really good care of my extensive air ducts. I’ll admit, it was a bit disappointing to find out that people valued me so highly for my central HVAC system. However, by the end of our conversation, Owen was feeling a lot better. In fact, he forgot all about his girlfriend drama and was excitedly talking about going home to set up his own HVAC appointments.