I have no problem dining alone. I've done that on business and it was an easy transition to being single. I did see something recently when I took myself out for my birthday--alone. A gentleman in a booth near mine had brought a small portable DVD player and I swear he was watching a recorded soap opera! it made me chuckle but it also made me realize that a DVD player was a different option.
However, the messages I got from that were interesting. 1) It showed me that he wasn't interested in enjoying his food. For me dining out usually is a peak experience, unless it's just fuel. So watching a movie was like plunking myself down at home in front of the TV. 2) This also put a big neon sign over the gentleman's booth, saying, "Don't disturb me." Sometimes, dining alone allows you to interact with wait staff and sometimes with other diners. I've had some interesting conversations with wait staff and also with fellow diners seated at the next table---short but interesting none the less.
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