Opposites attract, then they repel

~ The biggest relationship problem may be the 'Odd Couple' dilemma

Remember that show, "The Odd Couple," about those two guys who live together, and one is a total slob and one is a neat freak? If you do, you are probably chuckling at the zany situations the two found themselves in, by just being opposite. When one is tidy and the other is messy, it's hilarious, right?

WRONG. It is the complete opposite of hilariousness, in fact, it could mean the end of the messy-clean relationship.

It always starts out innocently enough. Two lovebirds move into an apartment or house and have their "honeymoon period." Then, one of the two realizes that his partner is a little careless in picking up after herself -- a dish left on the coffee table, a pair of underpants on the bathroom floor.

Soon, the person may notice that their partner is careless with a lot of things. Dishes and underwear begin to pile up everywhere. Despite his best efforts, the tidy partner can't keep the place clean alone. This person then sinks into a sort of apathy, where he allows everything to go to housekeeping hell even though he can't stand it. Then -- one day -- the meltdown.

It may come after a period of weeks, or even months. The slovenly partner will be most likely doing something that isn't cleaning -- like playing Xbox or surfing the Net. The tidy partner will stub his toe on something, most likely a shoe. Suddenly, all the aggression that the neat freak has saved up after a month of staring at filth and decay will come streaming forth.

I know this is what will happen, because I have lived it. And due to my use of pronouns I don't think I have to tell you who is the messy person in my relationship with Boyfriend X. (Hint: me.)

The truth is, I never learned good organizational skills as a child, and I never really had any chores to speak of (except to brush the cat, and I will tell you that our cat was the most disheveled in the city). It's not like I couldn't notice the mess building up in the apartment. I just let it get to a certain point, and then I feel overwhelmed and unwilling to clean it up.

If you are reading this and you know that you are a total slob, realize that the meltdown may be coming your way. It's only a matter of time, unless you change your ways now. I realize how difficult this is. I still haven't done it. But, honestly, when you live with another person who isn't your parents, there's no excuse to act the slob. You -- I -- need to grow up and learn to be mess-free before conflicts arise.

To the other, more "Trapper-Keeper" type, why don't you relax? Mess is aggravating but in the end, it's easy to fix. Try talking to your partner instead of exploding one day over the 8,000th dish left on the coffee table. Maybe work out a system where you don't have to do all the cleaning and your partner can be encouraged to participate. As always, communication is key in this issue.

So we can see why the real-life "odd couple" is never, ever, ever as funny as the show in which I base my analogy. The fact is, in such tight living spaces, one small mess can create a big problem. And that's no laughing matter.