Someone I roomed with while in the military would go out drinking and come back to the barracks room well after midnight. He had the good sense not to switch on the overhead light, which might have resulted in a fistfight--or at least a valid complaint to the master-at-arms, who kept order. But what he’d do instead was turn on the lamp by my bed. The trouble was, it was my lamp. Something about being woken up repeatedly with a light I’d voluntarily brought in made me realize further measures were necessary.

Taking the lamp back home wasn’t an option I considered; I should suffer for his bad habits? The first night I unscrewed the bulb a few turns. Late that night he stumbled in, walked right over to the lamp and swore when it didn’t come on. He reached up and, realizing the bulb was loose, tightened it. And turned on the lamp.

I suppose the gloves came off next, because he had a bigger problem the next night. Again he tried to switch on my lamp, to no avail. Again he reached up to check the bulb. Which happened to be gone.

How was I to know he’d stick his stupid finger into the light socket?

He wasn’t there much longer, as we were both in a training school and by that point he was in his last week. Those last couple of days, I slept very well.

Submitted by Fog Bell