For my final blog of 2009, I wanted to share some thoughts about a movie I recently saw, “The Blind Side.” I know that I write about roommate relationships, not critique movies, but I thought it would be helpful to share the relevance of this story to all of the roommates out there, especially during the holiday season.

If you haven’t seen the movie or heard about it, “The Blind Side” is a true story about a young man, Michael Oher, who was raised in the projects by a drug-addicted, single mother. He spent many homeless nights on his own before meeting his future roommate and surrogate family member on a school playground.

During his high school years, Michael was taken in by a wealthy family who provided him with a home and surrounded him with love, support and warmth - none of which Michael had as a child. Ultimately, though, this relationship allowed Michael to reach the pinnacle of his talent by playing collegiate and professional football. Prior to being formally adopted, Michael spent many months as the roommate to the family of four.

One could easily conclude that Michael would have never achieved all that he has today (a five-year, $13.8 million contract for the Baltimore Ravens, in addition to intangible rewards of success) if he did not have the opportunity presented to him by a family who supported him unconditionally and provided him with the love, friendship and safety he seemed to crave.

Roommate relationships provide us with opportunities to have an impact on another person on both the most basic and intimate levels, just like the family in the movie. Our tendency when we live with people we don’t know (i.e., college) is first to judge, then to dissect. If and only if they pass, we then give them a shot. Steve Covey, in his famous book, “Seven Habits for Highly Effective People, writes “seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

If we all applied this simple “habit” to our relationships, we would create a more conducive environment for healthier, happier and more satisfying interactions. Think about the positive impact you could have on your roommate - consider the value you may bring to him or her or the experiences you’ve had that were never afforded to your roommate. Sharing these experiences - or at least letting them in - could make a huge difference in someone else’s life.

At the end of the day (or, in this case, year), although our backgrounds may differ, it is the similarities in our humanness that connect us all. Just like the family in “The Blind Side,” you as a roommate can make an enormous difference in the life of someone with whom you live - positive or negative. You decide.

I wish you a happy and healthy New Year. See you From the Couch in 2010.