I eat out alone. I do it quite often; at least once a week. Often I am met with curious stares and pitiful glances from servers and fellow diners. But the thing is, I actually rather enjoy it. Scratch that. I love it.
Eating alone in restaurants is not usually something common, especially in India where meals are family affairs. At best, the smallest table you’d find will usually have a couple eating together. Of course, I’m talking about actual meals in restaurants. Cafés around the world are abound with single people diligently working on their laptops while sipping their cappuccinos.
Eating alone is part of self care
Self care is a term being thrown about everywhere these days, especially for women. And with good reason. For centuries, women have taken care of everyone else–husbands, siblings, children, grandparents–with very little time for themselves.
As more and more women enter the workforce, in India in particular, many women find themselves with the purchasing power to actually take care of themselves. For many like me, eating out alone is one of the ways we do it.
In many cultures, like in Morocco, Korea, and even in India, meals are family and community affairs. Moroccon culture even has one big central serving platter that everyone on the table eats out of–such is the emphasis on communal eating. In India, meals are when the whole family meets to discuss everything from finances to gossip.
So to eat out alone as a woman is almost an act of defiance. I feel it when I see people glancing at me as I am quietly eating alone. Sometimes, I read a book and eat because it’s one of those rare times when I am not distracted by other concerns like household chores and work commitments.
But,most of the time, I eat alone and do nothing but actually eat, without a book or my phone to keep me company. I do it so that I am mindful of what I am putting into my body. I savour every bite and every burst of flavour. It’s amazing how distracted we become from the actual act of eating when we’re out with other people. We’re barely aware of what we put in our mouths.
Try eating out alone. It will give you a great sense of well-being. Before I end, allow me to let you in on a secret. Sometimes, I eat alone only because I don’t want to feel obligated to share my food, especially fries. When you eat a whole plate of fries on your own, you’ll know what I mean.
