Solo At The Cinema

#4)  Movie Date...With Myself

  I can always find something to do, whether it be productive or not.  Many times I start off with ambitions of high productivity but quickly digress to other "more important" projects (like instead of doing all my laundry, I decide it's a higher priority to paint my nails).  Every now and again, when I'm in the mood to go do something, literally every friend I have is busy.  Since social norms have convinced us that certain social activities have a two-person minimum requirement, unavailable friends = night spent at home (cleaning, reading, writing, listening to music, playing the piano, or piddling idly around the house with a Law and Order: SVU marathon on as background noise....).  I recently decided that I would go against the grain and try one of those elite, "two-person only" social activities out all by my lonesome.  Lame? Or AWESOME?  (this will be your point to ponder my friend, I've made my choice -- it was a split decision).  So when the most recent "unavailable friends" night occurred -- I packed up me, myself, and I then headed to the theatre to watch Argo (which was really good by the way, even with Ben Affleck).  

Movie selected without difficulty...only one person involved

  

  Originally, I was going to head to a movie theatre that did not serve alcohol.  But on second thought, something sounded less lame about going to a movie by myself if I was having a beer while I was there (hindsight says: this may have actually made it more lame...meh).  Sounds weird, but I was actually a little anxious parking and walking in by myself.  (insert dumb self pep talk here)  Momentarily feeling like a social outcast, I made myself feel better by creating a list of reasons of why people would assume I was at the movies alone:  they will just think I'm meeting someone here, maybe I'm dropping something off for a friend, or I got stood up but went and saw the movie any way (at the time, even being stood up actually sounded better than just going alone).  In reality, I'm sure no one I passed on the way in thought anything about it -- if they even noticed me.

  Once I made it inside, movie tavern's lovely cashier (Herlinda) greeted me and asked "Just one ticket, dear?"  I laughed and said, "Yes, just one ticket but two beers."  She laughed, more AT me and less at what she THOUGHT was a joke.  Joke was on her though -- because I did in fact want two beers.  I told her about my 30/30 blog and she volunteered to take my picture, as well as offered to come and sit with me when she was off her shift (outreach program for the solo movie-goer).  Odd, yet nice.  I politely declined as I explained her accompanying me would defeat the purpose of my task at hand.  

Background selection and photography done by Herlinda

  I walked into the theatre for Argo, and I was seriously the ONLY person in the entire place.  At first I was relieved, but then once the lights went off I was freaked out.  I'm kind of a scaredy cat and throughout the entire film I kept looking over my shoulder every time the projector made a noise.  Theatres are scary when you roll solo -- fact!  I nestled in with my Blue Moon(s) and made a point to remember the movies from the previews that I always want to see but can never remember once I leave.  (example:  This Is 40 with Paul Rudd...done.)  I'm going to be honest -- I don't do well with suspense and half way through the movie I had to get out my phone and google what happened to the 6 hostages.  Some say spoiler, I say sanity.  

Empty theatre = Death Trap...

  I thought going to the movie by myself would be just short of knitting at home on a Saturday night, but turns out, wasn't a big deal and I actually enjoyed it.  No one to interrupt your movie watching experience when they get back from the bathroom and whisper in your ear, "I'm lost.  Explain to me what I missed"; no one's phone playing Lil' Wayne because they forgot to put it on silent, no argument over the choice of the movie or the time -- all smooth sailing.  Not saying I'm going to make this a regular occurrence, but this experience gets a thumbs up from me.  Cheers to movie-going independence!