Me, Myself and I Go to the Movies

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For some, Saturday night is typically classified as "date night" -- the night where you go out with that one special person, paint the town red, purple and pink and hopefully have a few cocktails in the process. In general, Saturday night is reserved for all sorts of fun, but basically that fun includes multiple participants in the form of either pairs, threesomes (if you're into that -- good for you) or groups of innumerable members. 

We look upon those who spend this holy night (holy in the sense that you revere and worship free time to party!) riding solo, folding their laundry while watching Gilmore Girls re-runs as social anomalies and hermits. Why waste the wide-open freedom of Saturday night and the subsequent promise of  Sunday morning hangover-recovery-time? And better yet, why be alone? Why not include a friend in those precious work and commitment-free hours? It seems as though everyone and their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother plan their Saturday nights around doing something -- anything --  with someone -- anyone -- so why not participate and join a friend for questionable revelries?

I usually am one of these people. My Saturdays are saved for going out, hanging with old friends, chatting up new friends and hopefully, finding a DJ that will submit to my Whitney Houston requests. This past Saturday, though, I joined the ranks of those who choose a path of solitary companionship. 

I braved the new world of doing things with me, myself and I alone and decided to go out on a date with myself.

It wasn't that I couldn't have found something to do that involved human interaction. It was a deliberate decision. Despite the fact that I am a self-proclaimed chatty Cathy, I wanted some time sans external dialogue and conversation. I was okay with limiting my interaction to the internal dialogue that exists inside my head. That was just fine. 

My options were to stay home alone with my dog and watch a movie or go out alone and watch a movie. I already had a cute outfit on, my hair looked good and I was energized for the night to begin, so I figured I might as well go out. I had time, I was free, and there was a movie I wanted to see -- why should I let the fact that I didn't have a "date" or hadn't made plans with someone deter me from doing something that I wanted to do? Exactly. I shouldn't and I didn't. So I went to the movies.

It was my first solo movie experience. Despite the fact that watching a movie requires minimal conversation and optimal silence, it seems as though attending a movie in theaters is an experience relegated to pairs and groups. I went to the theater, bought my ticket, grabbed a snack and found a single seat.

Sitting alone, I realized that being alone at the theater wasn't a bad thing. I didn't care what people thought. There was no reason to feel bad for me -- I wasn't being stood up nor was I an outcast or loner of some sort. I reveled in the silence and took in the people watching pre-movie. It was ideal. Once the movie started, I was free from interruptions or commentary (even though I'm usually the one providing it). I stretched out, didn't worry about hogging the armrests and relaxed -- almost as good as being on my own couch, except I was shrouded in the mass of people, which made me feel like I was out and doing something. And I was.

I thought that going by myself might feel a little weird, but it wasn't for the most part.There's nothing particularly revolutionary about seeing a person alone at the movies.  Plenty of people show up sans +1 in tow or are in line waiting for a snack while they're friend takes in the pre-movie. Sure, there were a few times when I was very aware of the fact that I was alone -- like when I was waiting for my overpriced pizza to be given to me at the snack-stand or when I had to ask to purchase just one ticket -- but those things really weren't a big deal. People who go to the movies in pairs and groups have to deal with those things sometimes too.

The best part about being by myself, though, was that I was in complete and total control of my movie-going experience, only needing to focus on what would provide me (myself, alone) the best movie-going experience. I didn't have to worry about meeting and finding my movie companion beforehand, and once the movie was over, I could bounce out of there without having to wait for said movie companion to hit the bathroom or throw their trash away. My night was relaxing. Once the movie was over, I was free to go out somewhere else or head home. I was no longer confined to going places or attending parties/events with a date! I felt empowered in that I could go somewhere alone that generally holds the stigma of being a +1 activity.

Is this growing up? Am I just more comfortable with the person that I am and can stand to be alone with that person? Am I just now old enough to be responsible for myself and therefore, not necessarily in need of constant companionship? Probably a combination of all of those things. And probably the fact that sometimes, you just don't want to share your movie snacks.