Home » Archives » 08. June 2008
One Mc Donald’s Afternoon
June 8, 2008
I ordered the latest in Mc Donald’s today: the Kung Fu Panda Shake. It does taste good! I’ve always loved the fries, the float and now the nuggets. But am I writing for the foods? No!
Not really for the foods but for a hilarious experience of dining alone. Sitting quietly, munching the fries, I began to be curious of what people are probably thinking about me eating alone. Well that’s because these two women at my right keep glancing very often at my direction and I thought they’re probably curious why a woman in her 20’s has no one to enjoy the foods with. Ah, that’s where it all started!
First guess, am a LONER. I prefer being alone and am not good in social relations. My interpersonal relationships are shaky as I have difficulty dealing with people. I probably sweat a lot conversing with others that my throat suddenly becomes stiff whenever am with somebody so I prefer the solitary life. At this point, they probably are joking to each other that the fries I just ate are clogged somewhere in my throat! (hahaha) Much to my dismay, they might be thinking that am a good candidate for schizotypal personality or schizoid which is a pre-morbid state for schizophrenia.
Then I laugh out secretly upon that thought because if I blurt out in loud laughter, I would be confirming that am an idiot, losing contact with reality and finally snapping out. Silly! What else could they be thinking. Let’s see.
1. That I just broke up with my long-term partner and am forced to eat alone as am experiencing withdrawal and plan to isolate myself for as long as my heart feels sorry. Am in the pathethic mood, trying to sort things out — why it all went wrong — so in desperation, I treat myself out for a satiating snack to compensate for my loss (some people eat a lot you know, when they are under stress or depressed!). Again, they may have thought that I do not have anyone to comfort me because friends might be at work at the moment and my “superhero” had gone somewhere else “rescuing” another damsel in distress. And so am left alone in this pitiful condition. (Arrrggghhh!)
2. On second liberating thought, I probably have my special someone although he’s too far away to dine with me at the time I wanted to stroll at the mall! Maybe he’s in his office tied to his work and feeling guilty for not being able to be with me or pehaps he’s abroad trying to earn extra cash so he could finally save for our grand wedding sometime in the future. And all he could do is call me up to say how am I doing. (Well,that’s a possibility and a better option than the first, ayt?!)
The people around might have wondered (in a split second) why while the two couples on my left are dining heartily and the two ladies on my right have now become obviously curious, I am in the middle, “sandwiched,” and eating alone. So I tried to come up with more reasons they probably jave come up with.
3. That am a newbie here, being an adventurous traveller, unafraid of being in a crowd of stangers, exploring the unseen places in the country. So am sort of a back-packer, free-spirited young woman who jumps into a bus or plane or boat and lives an extraordinary life “exploring.” With great admiration and envy, the “curious people” perhaps have thought that am a woman who can travel to places accompanied or unaccompanied because I do not allow plans to be delayed or posposned just because friends who previously promised to tag along suddenly cancel the appointment. Then at the end of the day, I’ll sleep in a cozy hotel ( with a jacuzzi or a plain bathtub) to spend the night with or buy a ticket to someplace for another adventure. (Wow, what a nice way to look at it, huh!)
4. As I continue to enjoy my coke float, I thought someone in the crowd who’s saner than these two “gossipy” ladies on my right may have thought that am am a perfectly sane person, with good social contacts, enjoying the gift of nurtured relationships. And this particular moment that am into, is my time for myself. Let’s call it a “time-out” from the social life to reconnect with one’s self. It’s where I test my confidence of doing things without depending on a companion. It’s MY TIME. My time in which I can teach myself to be comfortable without having the “security blanket.” It’s easier to feel okay when you have your friends to laugh with or tell stories with over a cup of coffee or a bunch of fries, but some people feel so unease being left alone. If you are a confident peson, I believe, you don’t mind being alone sometimes and you dont get uncomfortable when people look at you with obvious curiousity.
4. (Now this is really shameful but it’s possible that the two ladies AGAIN on my right might have thought!) That am supposed to have a date but was stood up! (hahaha!) The guy did not show up! And after seeing me from afar suddenly didn’t get the nerves to approach me. So there I was, dining alone feeling pathetic. (Ouch!)
5. That am probably just a writer trying to ease out from my little nook, breathing some air, having a break because I just had a “writer’s blackout.” So I went out to find some interesting ideas, unwind myself a bit then after a good afternoon snack, ready to plunge again with new things to write!
6. Now here’s another silly idea that could be true but hope not: That am going crazy and suspicious as I try peeking into people’s thoughts when in fact they are unmindful of me! Yup, that the people around are not curious at all and they are just having their usual talks while I attach a lot of meanings to their gestures. (hahaha, talk about paranoia.)
But as I was almost finished, a guy stood in front of me with his Kung Fu Panda combo meal on a tray and there he was looking for available table but none was in sight. Tall and fair, he looked stunning. He was wearing light orange polo shirt, faded pants and slippers. He was neat and handsome eventhough he was only wearing slippers. Talk about simplicity combined with elegance. Ah, a perfect picture indeed!
So looking at my almost gone fries and nuggets, he said:
“Is it okay if i join you?”
“Yeah sure, am almost done.”
“Thanks, ako lang naman.”
“No problem,” I replied.
So we dined and I felt triumphant because the two gossipy girls on my right are dying with envy since I got to dine with a very good looking man. Now its my time to imagine that the spaghetti that they ate are probably stucked somewhere in their throat as they grow “GREEN-EYED” for my unexpected luck!
I sipped my last coke float, smiled at the guy who also came to Mc Donald’s to dine alone and told him I must go. He smiled back and said goodbye.
Now I feel relieved because while I sometimesdine alone , others also do. And its perfectly normal! And what do you know, sometimes you’ll just get unexpected treat of dining with a “loner” who’s perfectlyhandsome. Now that’s the desert!
