The Pleasure of Dining Alone and...

...the perils of false judgement

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

It took me a long time to feel comfortable dining alone, especially in nice restaurants with white tablecloths and heavy silverware and waitstaff who, although friendly, still seemed mildly superior. But I got over that after a few book tours. At first, when I was on book tour, I would order a room service dinner and eat it in my pajamas, lest I slop on my clothes. I would turn on the television for company, but no matter what program was on, it was dismal company. Finally, my friend and fellow author, the late and extraordinarily wonderful Sue Grafton, told me, “Oh, for God’s sake, put on some clothes and go down to the dining room like an adult.” She said this kindly. Kind of funnily. She also told me, “And if your clothes are wrinkled, IRON them. And if there isn’t an iron and ironing board in the closet, change hotels.” She also made me buy things to help you pack neatly which I never used, but hey! I have them!

So okay, after that admonishment, when I was on book tour, I began going to the the hotel dining rooms with a book in hand. But eventually I became far more interested in the goings- on around me than in the book.