Eating Alone
http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Alone-in-a-Restaurant –> check out this humourous link, in case you don’t know how to eat by yourself
Last Monday I did something I’ve never done before; something that when I see others doing, I find I often give them a sympathetic look; something that I think registered the same sort of looks from my on-lookers. I ate lunch by myself.
Let me first clarify that I was not stood up, nor was I confused on where my lunch date was supposed to be taking place. I simply was hungry, had time to kill, and it was a perfect day for a patio.
I never thought I would be one to eat alone; if I ever did eat alone, it would be when I’m eighty or some terrible fate had taken all my friends and family from me. It’s not that I think there’s anything wrong with it – it’s just why eat by myself when I could have some other company to talk to? Working in the restaurant industry, I see people dining solo all the time. And I really don’t think that they’re losers or that they must be lonely. But I do question how much fun they can really have when the only conversation they can carry (without strange looks) is in their head? When they order something truly delicious off the menu, who can they share their delight with? When they don’t have room for a full dessert but they really want that four-level chocolate cake, who can help them indulge in their guilty pleasure? When you feel like having a few cocktails after a stressful day at work, who can do those shots with you? (Because somehow doing shots alone is looked at much differently than when you have a companion).
Despite all this, I decided to try it out. And I must say, it was very liberating. Okay I admit, I did decide to eat somewhere familiar, ie. my place of work, so it wasn’t too much too take in at one time. I took a seat a table outside for two, took my sweater off to catch some sun, and waited for my meal. The first few minutes were the most uncomfortable of the whole affair. I felt as though everyone was looking at me as I approached the table alone. I started thinking how they must think I was meeting someone and what the heck would they think when that person didn’t end up showing up? I then took the task of trying to make myself seem occupied. I first took out my blackberry, although I didn’t have anyone to call. After a few minutes of pretending to read texts, I put the phone down. I looked around and realized I was fooling myself; nobody was really paying attention to me. I relaxed and instead of feeling uncomfortable, I actually started feeling good about this adventure.
While I convinced myself that nobody was paying attention to me, my coworkers notified me otherwise. One girl I work with came over towards me with a somewhat confused look. I answered her question before she asked, “I was early for work and thought I would try to get some sun.” She responded that “I’m so cute”, sat with me for a few minutes (probably out of sympathy), and then went on her way. Shortly after, a guy I work with came by and said in a confused way, “Are you by yourself?” as if this was a completely bizarre thing to. I simply said yes, he laughed and shrugged his shoulders, and I got back to my book and stirfry.
Looking back I think yes, back in the day I probably would make fun of my friend who took lunch alone, or feel sorry for the guy who is sitting by himself at the bar. But now that I’ve done it, I realize that sometimes spending alone time is refreshing and relaxing. It gave me a strange sense of independence and liberation, and it was relaxing to not entertain or carry conversation and to go by my own schedule. I don’t mind the stares or the assumptions that I’m a poor lonely sap. At the end of the day, I got a good meal and didn’t have to clean up after myself.
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1 Comment to Eating Alone
You must REALLY care what people think about you.
September 28, 2009