Written by Natasha Lawrence

Welcome back to the Candace Diaries. In this month’s exploration, we’re going to the movies alone. Frightful – we know. 

A wise old Pinterest quote once said “Don’t be afraid of your own company. You may find yourself a very pleasant companion.” Rereading Candace’s old column, I came across a story in which the real Carrie went to the movies by herself for research. With my Pinterest quote in mind and Carrie’s research as my motivation, I decided to head to the movies alone for my own personal research. Was I going to find that my own company was pleasant, or was I going to be too stressed out about being alone that I didn’t find the time to enjoy my own company?

I took myself to the movies on a Tuesday afternoon. Not only was it “Cheap Day”, but the middle of the day showtime ensured I wouldn’t run-in to anyone I knew. The movie was McQueen; A film I had seen before, but was the only one in the theatre’s line-up that I was mildly interested in seeing. I didn’t care that much about the movie though, because I was there to experience being alone. I dressed as if I were going on a second date, a low cut black t-shirt, black jeans, and a light cardigan, and applied my makeup like I wasn’t going to be sitting in a dark room for the next 2 hours. Which is just what I did. I ordered whatever the hell I wanted to order at the concessions (the most liberating part of my experience) and sat in silence for the next 1 hour and 52 minutes. Did I come out of the dark thinking I had a new best friend in myself? Negative. So, I decided to take my self-date one step further and take myself to lunch.

I sat at my favourite snack bar, one I normally frequent with girlfriends, and ordered my favourite food. Temptation to sit looking at my phone was strong, but I resisted. Instead, I spent my meal people watching and making up stories for each passerby. It was actually, dare I say, fun? Who knew I could be so creative?

Oscar Wilde once said, “I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.”

I normally spend my time alone working feverishly at the computer. When I’m not doing that, I’m with other people. It was nice to take a little break and enjoy my own company for a change. It let me know that I actually am a lot more fun that I originally thought.

Was it scary to request a table for one? Of course. Did I get a couple pitying stares? Obviously. But, did I learn something about myself during the whole ordeal? Yes. Would I do it again? One-hundo-P.