Gone was the self-conscious girl who cared about how she appeared in front of others and worried about eating alone in a restaurant.
When I was younger, even up to after I graduated university and had my first job, I was uncomfortable dining out on my own. Even sitting alone in the cafeteria at work made me self-conscious. I would work myself up by thinking about how other’s would perceive me as a loner with no social circle to be with. It probably stemmed from my childhood insecurities and low self-esteem that developed in my teenage years. Yes, I was never the cool girl, I was the nerdy girl with only a handful of good friends. It did not help that I had acne and oily skin and wore thick lenses on my glasses.
But I grew up.
And the fact of the matter is, no one cares.
No one really cares about whether you dine alone or with company at a restaurant. They are probably too pre-occupied with themselves and their own company to even notice you.
Truth be told, I kind of enjoy sitting alone in a crowded restaurant, taking my time with my meal these days.
I am now married with three kids, so I don’t dine out alone often anymore. On some days I crave personal space instead. Ironic, isn’t it?
I must add that I am not totally out of the woods, on certain occasions, I still get stressed by others’ opinions of me, especially if it is from someone who I respect and deem highly of, even at work. I’m still working on letting go of controlling and caring about how others think of me, instead choosing to focus on doing what’s right and best by my standards.
So if you were like me, congratulations on moving on to reaching better emotional security and growing a thicker skin, trust me you will need it as an adult.
Cheers to personal growth!