Last night it was me out shopping at the mall (I had purchased nothing for Christmas, as of last night) and all the guys who still needed to purchase that special something for that special someone. That’s fine. No one was bothering me. Then, at the end of the night I was scheduled to meet a friend at a local bar for drinks and some food. When I got there, she called and said that she had a kid emergency and couldn’t make it. I had no intention of leaving my almost full glass of wine so I ordered some food and turned to watch the TV. Here’s the disadvantage to being a single (woman) in a bar:

Person 1 (guy): “Why are you here all by yourself on a cold winter night?” (Really, you are going to use that one?). “Can I buy you a drink, some food, a trip to Hawaii?” (These people are still out there?) I made up an excuse for a phone call. Geeze!

Person 2 (guy): “You look familiar, do I know you from somewhere?” (seriously, this is a different guy??!!) “Are you a lawyer?” (OMG – I hate when people ask that question!). Turns out, I had a case against him early in my career (won) and we went to law school together (never even remembered the guy). His wife served divorce papers on him last week and he was having a hard time managing his emotions. He cried sitting next to me until my food came and my phone rang for real!

Person 3 (woman – bartender): She was so interesting: Working her way through graduate school, single and makes the most money behind the bar. She told me that the men who come in are obvious but the women who come in to meet someone at the bar are the loneliest ones. That made me feel sad for them. Then, I realized that I better eat quickly and get the hell out of dodge!

Person 4: Me. It was great people watching but one thing I realized as I sat there, is that I am a single at times. Not too often, but enough to take in my surroundings without the filter of someone else. To some that might be a disadvantage. To me, I learn as much about others as I do about the uncomfortableness of being by myself.

It’s not easy to be alone. We surround ourselves with people, often to drown out the noise of our own fears. Sometimes, it’s good to be alone. So, last night, over that last sip of wine, I made a point of appreciating my being alone for that all so brief moment. It really was enjoyable, not scary!

So, with that I hope you all have a great holiday tomorrow! For the Jews reading this … My dad and I will see you at the movie and for Chinese!