Reflection

A Place at the Counter: The Onus of Oneness

Mary Lukanuski

"Consequently food is prepared with the expectation that it will be shared." (113)

"He who eats alone, dies alone" (116)

One of the main points that Lukanuski brings up in her article is about eating alone. How is it that eating alone has become somewhat of a taboo in our culture? From personal experiences, I know that it is nerve wrecking to eat alone in a public place. It feels as though everyone's eyes are on you, judging you for eating by yourself. In her article, she empathizes how food plays a big role in socialization. Food is something you share with friends and family (people you find important to you). Food also revolves around holiday feasts, which again are assembled with those important people. By not having food with others, you become an outcast; assumptions are created about your social background because of your inability to eat with others (when really it could have been something you do once in a while) "That person's eating by himself...he must not have any friends," is a thought that could go through an outsider's mind. In order to avoid these negative connotations, people avoid eating by themselves. Perhaps by not eating...or going out of their way to find a partner to eat with.

SO then, I decided to Google "eat alone", to see what it would come up with. It came up with titles such as,

"Never eat alone" (a book about being successful)

"How not to eat alone, and not be a loser"

"What we eat when we eat alone"

"How to eat alone with confidence"

Interesting.