Ticket For 1 Please!

Just this past week, Mark came home from work, took Lake and gave me the evening to myself.  Anything I wanted to do was mine for the taking.  Should I go shopping?  Get my toes done?  Read all the new magazines at Barnes & Noble while sipping a latte?  Nope.  Not when I could immerse myself in 120 minutes of Robbie P, Reese and a torrid love affair!

I walked into a small theater in a pretty swanky area near downtown.  I paid for my single ticket to Water For Elephants, and as the girl handed me my ticket, she gave me one of those “Oh, a movie by yourself – that’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen” smiles.

Once I got seated, I peeked around the dim theater.  It was a matinee - the 5:05 show - so there were only about 10 other people seated.  The only other singleton was a man who appeared to be in his late 60s.  I wondered if maybe he was a widower or if his wife was shopping down the street and he didn’t feel like moping around the Chanel boutique watching her try on suits and handbags.  There had to be a reason for him to be there unaccompanied.

Except maybe, just maybe, he didn’t need a reason.  Maybe he simply enjoys a good movie alone every once in a while.

Going to the movies alone is one of the things I do that gets the most bizarre reactions from friends and family.  The conversation usually goes a little something like this:

“What did you do today?”

“I went to see Water for Elephants”

“Oh, good – who’d you go with?”

“Nobody.  I went myself.”

“What?  Noooo.  Why?  You’re not that person, are you?”

Usually I say it was spur of the moment, or we didn’t have anyone to watch Lake.  But the truth is, I relish going to the movies solo.

So yes, I am that person.  The one you see in the theater and feel bad for, because they must be a total loner.  Or the person that you assume doesn’t have 1 single friend to see a movie with. (Well that might be a little true now that I’m in Dallas, but that’s neither here nor there. . .)

But the reality is, I’m the person that doesn’t have to share my popcorn or drink with anyone.  The person that can set my belongings down wherever I want and not have to catch-someone-up on what they missed when they return from a bathroom break.  The person that can put my elbows on both armrests and not have to awkwardly lean to one side for the duration of the film. I’m the person that gets to enjoy a movie all by myself. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  There are exceptions.  Some movies are simply meant to be seen with others.  Would I see a horror flim alone?  Absolutely not!  And the Sex and The City flicks - a must-see with girlfriends!  All other genres are fair game for independent viewing J

So the next time you find yourself with an afternoon all to yourself and a new release at the local theater, go ahead be that person.  You can get your latte on the way home.