Have I spoken about my lunch habits before? I swear, I am the only person in the world that reads a book during lunch...by choice. In my experience, there are 4 types of people when it comes to lunching (these are those that work in offices...this is my only experience in the past 10 years):
1) "I don't want to eat alone" type I: These folks cannot stand the idea of eating alone in a restaurant or cafeteria or likely even on a park bench. I gather that some don't like the idea of being seen eating alone, lest others consider them as lonely and undesirable. However, I believe that some just have a primal need for human company while consuming. These folks tend to hold up a conversation, but only about trite and uninteresting things. Original thought eludes these folks.
2) "I don't want to eat alone" type II: The other side of this spectrum is inhabited by the performers. The ones who desperately need someone to talk to during lunch. They need to spin their yarns, often at a high volume, in the presence of an adoring audience. They are essentially space-fillers for the Type I's. They fill the vacuum of silence & dull conversation that the Type I's produce. It seems to me a symbiotic relationship and you'll often see (like I did today) a group of Type I's sitting with a single Type II, silently listening as the boisterous Type II continues his seemingly unending monologue of recycled opinions and truth-challenged observations. It's interesting to watch the Type I's in this situation because often they all appear disinterested and take turns in silent harmony with making eye-contact with the Type II--easing the burden of the attention they must give the speaker by distributing it amongst the group. I see very little joy or laughter at those tables and I, frankly, feel pity for the Type I's: forever drawn to these blowhards, yet not seeming to really enjoy themselves at all. I am honestly unsure if the Type II notices or cares. A horrible off-shoot of the Type II is the Boss Type II. The one who drags his employees with him to lunch and just talks about work and what needs to be done. Patently ignoring the "break" part of lunch break.
3) The "Eat At The Desk"er's: Over the past decade, I've seen the number of people who eat at their desk increase immensely. Likely this is to do with the Internet and that little entertaining screen. Sure, some people actually work while they are eating. But, most, I'm sure, just browse the net and goof-off (which is fine, since it's a break). It feels so similar to the eating in front of the TV that most of us do, that it just seems natural. This is also the choice for those Type I's that can't find anyone to lunch with them and they use it as a hiding place, solemnly eating their lunch, wishing for companionship. Of course, there's nothing wrong with eating at one's desk, from my perspective, since I belong to the last group:
4) The Loners: These few sit on the fringe of cafeterias quietly lunching solo. In my experience, they are viewed (as in high school) as the dejected members of society, those that are so socially awkward that they cannot form human bonds and therefore, sit, hopefully waiting for someone to come up and talk with them about anything. I honestly have no knowledge if this is true or not. Being a Loner, you don't actually talk to any of these other Loners (otherwise, we wouldn't be loners, would we?). However, I can tell you that I eat alone by choice (Why are you at a Gas-n-Sip at 10 o'clock with no girls in sight? --by choice, man, by choice). There reasons are myriad: I detest small talk, I detest commitment (because once you have lunch with someone, there comes the repeated invitations and you are expected to regularly eat with them lest you slight your co-worker and consequently feel guilty), I detest watching others eat (mastication is not exactly appetizing--ironically), I detest listening to people who can't shut-the-fuck-up...it goes on. But, mostly, I just love to read. I find reading while eating to be quite entertaining, much more so than whatever real people can usually offer up. Although, in my group of loners, I would say that reading is not all that common. Most of the time when I see someone eating alone, they are just staring out into space. Perhaps daydreaming? That sounds nice. It's so rare that I see someone else with a book--sure, sometimes theres a newspaper or a magazine; but, it's a rare occurence to see one of my bookworm buddies out there actually unabashedly reading an actual book.
Oh, I forgot to mention the fifth group because they are experts at being unseen: the car lunchers. The mentality of those are not known to me, since they are an elusive group. Stroll any parking lot at lunch and you'll see them, if you look hard enough. There's probably more, but it's Friday and it's quittin' time.
i.
