
I arrived at the house to grab an application and Lindsay answered the door. She was the same person I had spoken to on the phone and seemed pretty friendly and eager to meet me. After a tour of the house and a detailed explanation of how the house worked, I began to get really excited. A nice place to live, with everyone helping out to make it a home. This all seemed like a great fit for me, since I am so used to helping out around the house. I grew up having a chore list everyday, and although I have always had more responsibility than my peers, it had been rewarding to know that I can do certain things on my own.

After filling out the application and meeting many of the members, old and new, I left in an excited mood, looking forward to Sunday dinner and getting to know the rest of the co-oppers. On Sunday, I arrived a bit before 5 with wine in hand, open to whatever came. Dinner was tasty, talk was abundant, and the wine was great. I really felt like I had made a good impression. After Sunday dinner, the house members had a meeting discuusing house affairs and the a prospect of new members. I was told that I would find out that night, or at least recieve a call to hear of my status. That was kind of upsetting since I had spent a lot of valuble apartment searching time to make a strong effort for the coop house. I did recieve a call that night, but to my dismay, I learned that many of the members weren't there for dinner that night, and no decision could be made about my rejection or acceptance into the house. I was to wait a week and find out tonight.
I recieved a call at exactly ten this evening, but was unable to answer the call as I was away from my phone. The message went something like this, "Hi Sarah, this is Lindsay. I'm really sorry to have to tell you this, but we had a meeting tonight and it doesn't seem like a good fit. However, we would reallylike you to come over for dinner and get to know you more. You can call or come over Wednesday for potluck." Then she said someting along the lines of goodbye and that was it. No coop living for me.
The thing that upsets me is that I feel very judged right now. Why am I not a good fit. I guess I can't prove my good nature to anyone, or make anyone like me or want me to live with them, but I feel I have many good qualities. I can cook well. I'm friendly, caring, helpful... and other things too. I'm just disappointed because I feel like I wasn't looked at, had my application looked over, was quickly tougt about and ten pushed aside, and heard the news of this on my voicemail.
If you have seen or heard of the coop house, it might be the right place for you, but they might not feel the same way. The coop house seems like a great place to be, but also very selective in their process of selcting wo is to there. This to me is sad and unfair in a world and city of many diverse people.:(