Reflection 4: Table for One—On Solo Dining
The Buddha is said to have once proclaimed: “There is no joy in eating alone.” If conventional wisdom is to be believed, a number of Americans share that sentiment. In fact, in the US, solo dining has long carried a stigma—though, in reality, we may be eating alone a lot more than we realize. But why do Americans disdain eating alone in public so much? Why does it inspire so much dread and anxiety in so many people?
For this reflection you must have one meal in public, alone. As you do so, consider: Are you enjoying the experience? Are you uncomfortable? If you are uncomfortable, what are you doing to make the experience a little more bearable?
Notes:
- The meal you eat alone needn't be anything extravagant—a simple cup of coffee in public will do. The point is simply to eat by yourself, be it in a cafe, food court, restaurant, or cafeteria.
- Americans tend to feel less awkward eating alone if they have an electronic device (e.g. cell phone, e-reader, smart watch, laptop) to keep them company. You might challenge yourself to solo dine without the aid of an electronic devices. Instead, people watch, sight-see, or even eavesdrop.
- Another challenge: dinner. Dinner is often thought by Americans be the most challenging meal to eat in public alone. If you can, consider a solo dinner at a restaurant.
Include at least two of the following in your discussion:
- “What You Learn from Eating Alone” (TheAtlantic)
- “The Glories of Dining Out Alone” (Vox)
- “‘Table for One?’ Should Not be an Insult” (CNN)
- “How I Learned to Eat Alone and Not Be Lonely” (TheAtlantic)
- “I Ate Alone in Public to See If it Could Cure My Perpetual Loneliness” (Vice)
Requirements:
- MLA Style, including works cited
- Approx. 500 words