What's Wrong With Dining Alone?

I’ve had conversations with a few people who won’t or who just can’t dine alone. And by that I mean, go out to a nice, sit-down, table- service restaurant by themselves, have a seat, and have a meal. It seems alien to them.

Why?

Okay, it sucks that things have turned out for me the way they have. I thought I’d be married to Mrs. Farrago for the rest of my life. I was wrong. But should the absence of her beside me stop me from going out and having a nice meal? Maybe I lived alone too long before she re-entered my life, but, even now, going alone to a fine dining establishment doesn’t fill me with a level of social stress that makes me second guess my decision to go there.

Is there some social stigma that life failed to program into me?

Would I prefer some company? Of course I would. I just don’t have anybody on my dance card at the moment. I have a co-worker who, in the past, when we’ve been out on the road, has been traumatized when I’ve told him I just wasn’t hungry, and for him to take the rental vehicle and go alone to wherever he wants.

“I can’t go alone!” This is a grown man with a wife and kids. “You have to go with me!”

And then he looks at me strangely whenever I tell him I had dinner out alone.

So I assessed my food situation: I have no leftovers in the house to eat; I have consistently forgotten to buy bread this week, so sandwiches are out; I’m leaving town for a week tomorrow, and I don’t want to generate any leftovers to sit in the refrigerator and incubate. So, since I’ve caught myself salivating every time this week each time I rediscovered the Macaroni Grill restaurant almost literally a stone’s throw from my apartment complex, I decided a treat was in order. And I went to dinner. Alone. I didn’t ask anybody along. I didn’t think of anybody to ask.

Do you think it’s strange? Or better yet, do you think I’m strange? What do you/would you do in such a situation? Hit a fast food place? Curl up on the couch and eat sardines and crackers? Pick Doritos crumbs from between the cushions?


(The Chicken and Shrimp Scallopine was outstanding, by the way!)