Sharon Kennedy: Table for one, please
I thought I’d take a break from what one reader calls my weekly political “tirade” and reflect on the pleasure of dining alone. This column shouldn’t rile anyone, but who knows? Some folks will take offense at anything just because they’re bored. Sparring with a person they’ve never met might make their day so here goes.
Occasionally I treat myself to breakfast at a local restaurant. Unlike some folks who have a difficult time plucking up the courage to enter a café and order a table for one, I don’t mind. Dining alone gives me an opportunity to gaze around and see all the happy people. Sometimes they’re hard to find especially if their kids are whining about the choice of food they’re expected to consume. Since they don’t understand why they can’t have chicken fingers, chocolate cake and Pepsi for breakfast, the battle is on.
Diners are intriguing. As I wait for my order, I overhear conversations and observe people at nearby tables. From what I hear, it seems gals get together to complain about boyfriends or husbands and to share the latest gossip. Fellows gather to grumble about their girlfriends, wives, politics or the price of a new tractor. Teenagers devour pizza and pop while texting each other at the same table. Starry-eyed newlyweds squeeze into one side of the booth, captivated by the bliss of young love and oblivious to the commotion surrounding them.
While awaiting the arrival of my scrambled eggs and toast, I drink coffee and notice people my age. These are the folks I find most interesting. From their interaction, it’s easy to tell the ones who genuinely like each other. Their aura of happiness is almost tangible. Couples who have been together a long time and have weathered many storms are a testimony to mutual compromise, respect and devotion.
Scary diners are the ones who speak only to the waitress. The stony silence they inflict on their dining partner baffles me. I wonder why anyone would stay in a relationship long after the warmth and camaraderie have vanished. I feel sorry for these folks. The burden of being with someone they stopped loving must be a heavy one. Instead of making agreeable conversation, they look out the nearest window or read a newspaper. They seem anxious to avoid eye contact with each other. When they do speak, they criticize something about the person they’re facing. Sometimes they talk to people at another table. I imagine one partner is seething while the other is making friends with strangers.
Solitary dining puts me in a reflective mood. When the waitress comes to my table, she has no idea I’m alone through choice. I enjoy my own company and the amusement provided by those around me. I learned a long time ago that contentment isn’t achieved through dependence upon others.
So if you’re like me and occasionally dine alone, embrace it. As you enter the restaurant, hold your head high. It takes a brave person to endure solitude in a room full of happy people, but don’t kid yourself. Look a little closer at the folks around you. Not everyone you see is thrilled to be with the person sitting across from them. Some might envy your freedom.
Okay, I promised to leave politics alone, but I can’t resist wondering where Trump will be dining if a jury finds him guilty. Will he remain in his cell, or will he join the other felons in the jailhouse cafeteria?
— To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. Kennedy's new book, "View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories," is available from her or Amazon.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sharon Kennedy: Table for one, please
