By Madeline Clark
Senior Editor

As someone who doesn’t compromise on her values, I’ve gotten used to being single. Most of the time, I’m too busy with work or with family and friends to even notice I’m as single as a dollar bill. That is until I am alone in public.
Being alone in a crowd is one of the hardest things to do as a solitary 20-something. While I don’t feel odd sipping my cappuccino solo, or eating a burrito on my lonesome, it seems the couple to my right, or the family to my left do feel uncomfortable. They take stolen glances at the uncoupled patron. Their faces seem to say, “Poor dear, maybe she’ll find someone someday.”
I think society has become too focused on finding happiness in others, when most of us are able to make ourselves happy. Don’t get me wrong, I love time with others. I just don’t think singles should have to feel weird for going out alone.
This past Friday I took a risk and dared to do something that public opinion and social code had previously made me scared to do: I marched up to the marquee at Roxy Cinemas and proudly asked for one ticket.
I took a seat that was near the back and flush against the wall. Going to the theater alone was a feat; I wasn’t going to push it with a bold seating choice. I was anxious. It seemed everyone around me had someone with him or her. I checked my phone to pass the time. I organized my purse to make the minutes move.
Then, suddenly, the theater went dark. Commercials played and soon the feature film flooded my senses. As the time passed my social anxiety melted away. I laughed, I cried. I was entranced by the movie.
Being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. I really wish more people understood this. I love spending time with friends, but sometimes it’s nice to enjoy time alone to think introspectively. There’s no shame in eating alone, strolling down Church Street alone, or even, dare I say it, going to the movies alone. Give it a shot and you might just realize what great company you
make.