Last Saturday my two friends and I grabbed dinner at a neighborhood restaurant. It's a small family place as in, every customer is someone you may have seen on the sidewalk while walking your dog or driving to the grocery store.

I noticed an older gentleman seated smack dab in the center of the restaurant - reading a newspaper. Mind you, it's 8:30 PM on a Saturday (though if we're judging, I should add that my friends and I ordered a mimosa pitcher). And by older, I don't mean octogenarian-maybe-he's-a-widower status. More like he could be a silver fox.

This prompted my friend to say that she always fears eating out alone because she's afraid people will judge her. "When I was younger, I used to say that's one of the reasons I have to get married, so I'll never have to go to dinner alone."