I met a good friend for lunch today. As we finished up, he asked me what I had planned for the afternoon. Although I was a little embarrassed about it, I told him that I was taking a few hours off to go see a movie. I was embarrassed to tell a church member that I was taking a few hours off (but don’t worry, MHCCers - you got your money’s worth out of me today), and also because I was going to see a movie by myself, which I fear sounds odd. Turns out that he was also taking a few hours off to go play golf by himself.

Six years ago, Robert Putnam published a book called Bowling Alone, about how community ties in America are fraying and falling apart so that folks these days are just as likely to bowl alone as to take part in a league. He made it sound so sad.

The thing is, I love going to movies by myself. (Let me hasten to add that I love going with my wife too!) I also love traveling alone by plane, walking alone, working out alone. It energizes me almost to giddiness to be alone in a public place, alone in a crowd.

I do need my friends. I’m human (and sometimes insecure) after all. But I am also an introvert, so I need more time by myself than most of you. Still I wonder how many of you feel the same way. Maybe you live in a house full of beloved people, or you’re surrounded all day at school or work by not-so-beloved-people. Isn’t alone-time one of our most precious commodities, one that’s in awfully short supply?

P. S. It so happened that I REALLY got some alone-time at the movie. I was THE only person in the theater! When there was a delay in starting the movie, I was SURE that they were going to come tell me to leave! This was at Downtown West, an older, smaller eight-screen multiplex, but I saw NO ONE there except two employees! Cindy and I saw the second Matrix movie with one other couple, but I’ve never had the place to myself before. Have you?