Yes, that’s me, the lady eating by herself.  No, I’m not waiting for friends or being stood up on a date. I chose to be here, all by myself… And it’s glorious.

Normally, and just like other service professionals,  I spend long days, nights and weekends taking care of, or preventing, other peoples problems. “We worry for you” isn’t  just a slogan, it’s a fact of life.

Really, and I’m being totally serious here, the questions, What can I get you?  How was that?  Can I get you something else?, well..they are just plain magical.  So magical in fact, sometimes they amaze me.

And it’s not only that. The whole darn process is satisfying.

First, there are so many wonderful venue choices-and the choice is all mine!  Better yet, if I want to go to the same place over and over- who cares?  I never have that irritating conversation with myself that starts, where do you want to go?  I don’t know, where do you want to go. I don’t care, what do you want to do? Argh- shoot me.

Next, I arrive and someone greets me.  “Can I help you?” Why yes, yes you can.

The smiling, friendly and eager hostess leads me to my own temporary little bubble of personal space, where she leaves me alone with a list of tasty and fun treats.  Of course, this magical piece of fine literature, from which I can choose anything I want, is the menu. No really, menu writing is a skill and a work of art if done correctly.

And, if all of this isn’t enough, someone is willing, nay, begging, to cook, clean and serve ME while I indulge in something I enjoy – completely stress free – like reading, catching up on the news, or even writing a blog post. I do imagine that heaven must be something like this.

I admit, sometimes people are a bit puzzled by my enjoyment of solitary “public” dinning. And yes, in my younger days, there was often that “one guy”  who just didnt think it was right for me to be alone and so wouldn’t go away.

But, as I’ve gotten older, that problem has faded sweetly and comfortably (for the most part) into the past, allowing for much cherished ME time.

When you think about it, here is a process that focuses totally on your wants and needs, no pressure to perform or entertain, and allows you the ability to do something you enjoy?  I mean really, need I say more?

Oh, and what does this have to do with a tax blog? Absolutely nothing.