Keep

the

Peace

BY Matthew Halliday

illustration by kaley mckean

THE COMPLAINTS BEGAN a few months

after Frances* moved into her new

apartment. Last year, the Calgary

health-care worker and her room-

mate began receiving messages from

the building’s concierge, passed on

from the woman living in the unit

below: they were too noisy, moved

chairs too often and their guests were

too rambunctious.

To Frances, the noises were part of

everyday living. Her roommate was an

acknowledged klutz, who tended to

drop things. Friends’ children occa-

sionally visited and ran around. “It was

frustrating,” says Frances. “Anything

we did caused her to complain—and

she owns and we rent, so if we couldn’t

solve it, we assumed it was us who

would have to move.”

To make matters worse, Frances and

*NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED. her neighbour couldn’t talk to each

A little bit of

conflict now

and then is

unavoidable.

Here’s how

to butt heads

the better way.

48 september 2019

LIFE LESSON