table for one
I wanted to go and so I did - I jumped on a bus and off I went. It was a pleasant ride, the bus humming along smoothly, passing through stretches flanked by forests, where the trees softened the harsh tropical light, reminding me of light under water: luminous, ever-changing, impossible to hold on to. When I arrive at the café I order quickly, easily because I came driven by a clear, unshakable impulse, and settle down.
I am surrounded by people, conversation, snatches of laughter, the clinking of glasses and cutlery; everyone gathered to surrender themselves to two of life's greatest pleasures - food and company. But today I have no need for anyone; all week I have been longing to steal away, to go somewhere where my voice, my thoughts are not needed, and I listen hard to no one but myself.
I dine alone often during the work week - a hurried bite on the go, my mind distracted by work. But every now and then, when my time is truly my own, I snatch up the chance to literally make a meal out of it. Sometimes I bring a book, a magazine, or a newspaper to savour while I enjoy a coffee and something delicious and baked and buttery and sweet. Sometimes it's a proper meal that requires my full attention, from the soup to start to the espresso to finish. Either way, I enjoy the solitude amid a room full of people, where I am free to observe and imagine. I am invisible to others perhaps, but alone, I feel vivid and present, free to gather my thoughts, reflect and feel myself again.
A feast with the people you love is nourishing; but a solitary meal heals. I could not do without one or the other.
Comments
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I used to enjoy days like these when I just started working. I would wonder alone in the city and stop by any place I fancy for a good meal, with book or magazine in hand.
These days, we move around in a herd. But this post has reminded me of the good old days and made me smile.
I love this quote "A feast with the people you love is nourishing; but a solitary meal heals."
I so enjoy going out alone, whether to savor a lunch and a book or see a film. Enjoying alone time in that way helps me refocus and, yes, heal. And then I feel ready to get back to tackling the craziness of everyday life.
hannah-rose: shall look up that book! i've never finished a zadie smith novel, for some reason.
sue: you can always tell who finds it a relief to be on their own and who's bored, haha.
brittany: thank you!
amanda: my problem with eating and reading is that i'm fumbling with my utensils and a book that doesn't want to stay open.
natalie: wish i cld find quieter cafes near my place to make it a more regular thing! sundays are the perfect days for these things but it's so crowded most places.
camille: i always tell myself that work won;t crumble into ruins if i took half an hour to eat and read something fun.
kate: i like watching movies alone too! it is especially fun if i bring along something decadent to eat, or like you, have a drink.
katlyn: thanks! sometimes i like eating with friends from work but often it's a relief to get away from people whom you see too much of because you work too much...
eileen: thanks! you should to steal some time alone too!
lucy: they were really generous with the toppings. made me feel like a kid again too.
miss sophie: and NYC looks like it offers lots of nice opportunities to do this!
maja h: i second the recommendation to watch movies alone; a lot of times my friends don't want to watch what i want to watch anyway.
And totally introvert...