TABLE FOR ONE PLEASE

Doing things alone can be quite daunting for some women but what about eating by yourself in a restaurant, why don’t more women do this ?

Are we afraid of being judged, that if you go out to dinner on your own, other people will think you are a bit sad, because you’re probably single and therefore cant get a partner or don’t have any friends, feeling self-conscious that everyone’s looking at you? In a time when we are more independent and more adventurous than ever so many women will not go to a restaurant or even a cinema by themselves and prefer to walk into an empty room alone or stay at home alone.

The cinema is the easiest place to go and enjoy by yourself. After all even if you go with someone, you can’t talk to them while the film is on, it’s not even a social experience, do don’t have to share your popcorn and you’re sat in the dark so no one can see if you’re with anyone or not and quite frankly no body cares anyway!

OK so what about dinning alone? Unfortunately dinning is seen as a social experience but in fact it can be a very individual experience and a very freeing experience. After all you are free from food shame, from other people's diet restrictions, from small talk, from having to meet someone who arrives so late you've already eaten the whole bread basket and most importantly, from compromise. Food makes us happy, but it doesn’t need to be enjoyed in the presence of others to be appreciated wholly and completely.

Obi Onyeador

Eating is an individual experience. It's something we've created as a social experience, but the act itself is very much individual. It's something we do alone, even if it's in front of others.

So why is it that if we eat alone we may look like an odd balls?

When actually if we do eat alone, we have the courage and sense of self to do how it was intended, because it takes strong and self-assured person to eat alone. We aren't socially perverse, but socially enlightened. It's not that we can't get the company of others, but rather, we don't need the company of others. We are confident enough to go to dinner alone, to partake in a "social activity" alone and to be around others, completely alone. We can enjoy our food without staring at someone else across the table. We are stronger, bolder, happier.

Someone who can eat alone is someone who can be alone. Many of us will resort to eating in bad company rather than no company. Yet, someone who is eating alone throws all our bad dinner dates, awkward group dinners and uninterested invitations in our face, have achieved a feat many will never reach and learnt to be comfortable by themselves, gaining the sense of self awareness that only comes with learning to bask in a plate of food across from absolutely no one.

In ironic fashion, being alone makes you more aware of everyone else. When you’re by yourself you’re more in tune with the world around you and your small place in it. You can be present and mindful in your surroundings that exist around you while you just observe its simple beauty. So walk in there and enjoy.

“Hi there. Table for one please”