I’ll admit now that I’ve never had lunch on my own before. I’m not talking about running an errand, and stopping by a food court for a fuss-free meal. Or just hitting the nearest fast food joint to grab a quick lunch while I’m working. I’m saying that I’ve never had a nice, leisurely lunch, at a restaurant, on my own. And frankly, I never knew why any one would wanna do that.

Today, while out at lunch with my mother, we were sandwiched between two single ladies who were doing just that. Table for 1. Woman #1 was already there when we got to the restaurant. She sat there, deep in thought, seemingly pleased about having the area to herself until we rudely invaded into her personal space by taking up the seats beside her. Woman #2 came about 10 minutes later, and she was promptly led to the table next to us. Fishing out a self-help book, she straightaway buried herself in the pages after ordering her meal.

Throughout lunch, I kept wondering if these women felt awkward. Was it weird sitting there alone? Did they have to cope with quizzical looks as waiters reiterated “just 1″? Did they truly enjoy the experience? From where I was sitting, both women didn’t seem too self-conscious about it. And yet, that Woman #2 was shielded behind a book, and Woman #1 was texting in between courses kinda made me think these devices were serving as distractions, taking their minds off the fact that they were actually having a meal, alone.

I personally think it’s a brave thing to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a bit of a social stigma in many countries cos we don’t often see women out having meals on their own. Although, increasingly, women are now spotted shopping alone, and hitting cafes in between. I’ve done that plenty of times myself, and I must say I rather enjoy it. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as being able to raid through racks of clothes and not having to worry about holding people up. But having a quiet meal? I don’t know if I can do that. Of course if I ever will myself to it, you can bet I’ll also be armed with a book and my mobile phone. Let’s just hope I don’t bump into anyone I know. Imagine how that conversation will go.