Hey guys, I know it's a damn shame that it's been a whole week since I've written anything but, fortunately or unfortunately however you wanna look at it, nothing much has been goin on. Yes, Brooke did come for her visit and it was fantastic. In fact, I'm still in a sort of "depressed mood" since she left so we're just not gonna talk about it. Let's just say I enjoyed having her here. I did however, notice something this evening while I was eating dinner at Cracker Barrel with my family that made me think.
Of course, as on any other Wednesday evening the restaurant was far from crowded. We were nearing the end of our meal and the time where conversation starts to dwindle and blank stares across the room commenced. I looked around at the semi full dining room and noticed different families, lovers and friends enjoying their meals and the company that the person across the table from them provided. A I turned my head in the direction of my proverbial "3 o'clock" direction I noticed an older gentleman sitting by himself at a table for "two". The man wasn't wearing anything too out of the ordinary but there was just something about him that changed my quick glance at him into a stare. The man was alone.
While I know that it is perfectly okay to go out and enjoy a meal by yourself if you so please to, something just struck me oddly about this man. As I glanced at him I noticed that every movement he made was precise and calculated. As if he were used to a routine of sorts. He seemed to be fairly comfortable which lead me to assume that the man was a regular at this eating establishment but his comfort also lead me to believe that he had grown accustomed to being alone. I put myself in his situation. If I were alone at a table waiting for my meal I would be a nervous wreck. I would fidgit, play that stupid game on the tables at every Cracker Barrel or simply mess with my phone. In no way could I ever act so comfortably "alone".
After watching the gentleman sit there with his suspenders and hair laid to the side I began to really notice his "old fashioned" style. The style seen now a days on the "TV Land" station. Wrong or right I then made a huge assumption that would eventually bring the creation of this blog post. I began to feel sorry for this man. As a child I was taught that one of the essential "needs" of a human being is love. Now I know that love doesn't necessarily have to come from a spouse but as much as it pains the immature "young stud" persona in me, I must admit that when I reach that age the love of a spouse is all that will matter to me.
No one wants to be alone. Even a hermit wants companionship of some sorts. Be it a pet or inanimate object (Wilson in the movie Castaway), human beings need love. Seeing this man sitting there alone in his suspenders and gingham shirt made me want to go an have a conversation with him. He seemed as though he would love the company.
I dont really know why seeing this gentleman alone bugged me so much but it did. Who knows? Maybe he was an old widow who longed for someone, ANYONE to show him that he DOES matter in a world where change is ever present as he sits in a restaurant resembling a statue that depicts the "simpler times". Or maybe he was simply having a dinner alone at Cracker Barrel because, he needed a break from his loving bountiful family. I'll never know..but what I DO know is that I gained a better understanding of one's place in this world.
1 comments:
well said
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