The other night I went to a concert by myself, because I really enjoy the band and I couldn't find anyone else that wanted to go. Prior to the show I went to dinner with a friend and we started talking about doing things on our own. I think it's safe to say that if I wanted to do anything badly enough I would do it. I've been to bars, clubs, concerts, movies, and restaurants all by myself. I think one of the few things that I have not done is take a trip by myself (not work related) and that is high on my priority list. My friend talked about her apprehensions or lack of interest in doing some of these things on her own. To be fair I can't say I regularly go (or have interest) in going to a dance club by myself. The one time that sticks out in my mind was when I was Singapore and wanted to go this famous club, but didn't have anyone to go with. What I found is that when it comes to techno/trance/house music no one really dances together so it wasn't that big a deal to go on my own. I think it would be more strange to go to a hip hop club by myself. On occasion I've gone to a bar by myself when I want to have a quiet drink and be alone with my thoughts. I think the common thought is that going to a bar by yourself means that you are a loner or a recluse or an easy target for a cheap pick up line. I think if one selects the right bar on a weeknight the experience can be very enjoyable. People routinely go to cafes to have a coffee and people watch and I think the same can happen in a bar. On several occasions I've sat at the bar enjoying my drink just watching the world go by and I end up in a very interesting conversation with the bartender or other patron. Situations like these I feel are harder to come by when you are with another person, because your focus is on socializing with your companion. The timing of this conversation was very appropriate, because I just took a test from
TMS that concluded (among other things) that I'm a reasonable balance between an extrovert and an introvert. What I learned from this test was that an introvert is not necessarily anti-social and an extrovert is not necessarily a social person. I think it comes down to my enjoyment of watching life happen combined with my strong interests. In the case of the concert I was there to see a band perform and having companions wouldn't have been a big deal because there isn't much socializing happening during the show. However, when there was a break in the sets I was the one standing around wondering what to do.
