It wasn’t until a particularly irritating house guest left my home that I finally stepped back and said, “What am I doing? Why would I allow anyone to invite himself to spend ten days at my house when I really didn’t want company? Where did I learn this obsequious slavish behavior? Why didn’t I speak up when a guest burnished his ego by grilling a polite fourteen year old non-athlete about the rules of soccer? Why did I wait for this guy who finally appeared an hour and a half after everyone else was ready for breakfast? Why didn’t I speak up and stop the noisy political argument that spoiled a lovely dinner? Why didn’t I tell this lush, who refused to eat strawberries because they were sprinkled with sugar, that the large amount of liquor he had drunk the night before was pure sugar? The list of “bite my tongue” issues goes on interminably.
As I looked back at my past behavior, I realized I have a serious addiction. I suffer from a malady I’ve named Advanced Doormat Syndrome. Since I started writing, Host or Hostage A Guide for Surviving House Guests, I’ve learned that I’m not alone with this condition. There is an epidemic of ADS and I’ve been able to set down some boundaries that, with courage and practice, might help those who are afflicted with this dis-ease.
If your group or company would like to set up a date with me for an interactive presentation, please contact me at:
darlenedennis@hostorhostage.com
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