Melissa Kite Melissa Kite

Real life | 16 August 2018

I was deluged by responses to my ad for a lodger but no one would actually come and see the room

issue 18 August 2018

When I placed an advert for a lodger I really did expect potential tenants to want to come and see the room.

But of course, things have moved on. My theory about human beings is that they are evolving into emoticons. A lot of people now go into seismic avoidance when you try to get them to manifest themselves in 3D format.

I placed the ad on one of those spare-room websites and within minutes I was deluged by deeply earnest CVs from users with smiling headshot photos.

Firstly, these talking heads wanted to make clear that my newly renovated house looked stunning and they would absolutely love to live there. They then embarked on an account of their life and times.

They told me about their hopes and dreams, their ambitions for the future, what they had achieved so far, including any voluntary work, and how they saw their life panning out as they moved forward in their quest for inner fulfilment.

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