S: Our current vignette talks about the recent increase in solo dining, with Alyce Collins saying that the stigma of eating alone has started to fade away.


H: I’m glad to hear it. I hope it reflects on the overall trend of people becoming less judgmental about how others are supposed to live their lives and I hope increased confidence about how we all live alone. It has always bothered me when I heard people sniff about someone not being married or having children because of course that kind of unnatural state does things to people, it messes them up. Or reflects the fact that the have some serious fundamental problem. No, they are plenty of people in the world who aren’t married or don’t have kids. That doesn’t make them abnormal.


S: Now, have you ever gone to solo dining establishments, like the ones mentioned in the vignette?


H: No and it’s hard to imagine when my family schedule would let me. Though I do eat lunch by myself a lot usually by choice. I enjoy having some time to do whatever I want to do, you know, read a book, play a smartphone game. To be completely honest, I’m not always happy when I bump into someone in the cafeteria unexpectedly and they suggest eating lunch together. I feel bad about that. “Way to be selfish.” I tell myself but sometimes I just want to retreat into my own small bubble and relax a bit.

S: Well, perhaps we can expect others to be like the canny restaurateurs who can judge when their customers want to be left alone.


H: True. This would never work in the real world, of course, but sometimes I think it would be nice if we could all put up little signs next to ourselves on the table or on our shirts. They could read “Sure, come on over and talk” or “Actually I’d like to pass some conversation right now.”


S: If you were to do solo dining in the evening, what would you like to do? How about watching chefs at work in the kitchen?


H: Personally that doesn’t appeal to me so much. I’ve eaten at a few places like that in the past and didn’t find it that interesting. Plus I don’t know whether the chefs minded or not. But I always wonder whether they were annoyed by the fact that the customers could see them. Or at the very least self-conscious. If it was me, I’d feel a bit like a zoo animal on display. I wouldn’t mind the combination restaurant movie theater. It might be nice if all the seats faced the screen and everyone could enjoy a funny movie with the meal. Or perhaps a performance of classical music.


S: How about a cruise for one?
 

スポンサーリンク


H: I have to disagree with Mr. McMillan here. That sounds like a great way to relax. I’d pack a whole suitcase just full books and magazines, lounge around the ship pool with a cool drink and enjoy sightseeing at the different ports of call. The most relaxing element would be not having to accommodate anyone else’s schedule or wants. I could just pamper myself the whole time. Sounds fantastic.