Dear LoveBites - ever since I moved the living room sofa to face the window instead of the fireplace, the poltergeist in my home has been absolutely insufferable. Every morning the sofa is back where it was. My books are now alphabetized. The television remote is always on the left armrest despite me leaving it on the right. I want to be respectful of his feelings, but it is MY house.
— In a Standoff
Dear Standoff,
A poltergeist who alphabetizes your books is, I will admit, not entirely without value. However, you are correct that he is overstepping. The living must be allowed to arrange their own furniture. I recommend a compromise: acknowledge that the space was his first, choose one area of the room to leave exactly as it was, and firmly reclaim the rest. Most poltergeists respond well to being heard. Also, do check if he is alphabetizing correctly, if he is doing it by author’s first name, that is a dealbreaker regardless of the situation.
LB