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