There's this great scene in the Steve Martin movie, "The Lonely Guy" where he walks in to a restaurant alone with a spotlight on him and everyone is staring.
It's not quite that bad for me when I travel. But eating alone is definitely part of the gig.
I just posted a piece on The Digital Story titled, Take Your Camera to Dinner. It's not instead of an eating companion - because it looks weird playing with your mirrorless in a restaurant. Rather, the article addresses the photo opportunities before and after the meal.
When we dine with others, we're appropriately focused on interacting with them. But when when alone, I see things around me that I might miss otherwise. And in fact, a table for one can be good for my artistry.
Generally, I prefer the company of others. But I'm also comfortable flying solo.
It's not like there's a spotlight on me.
Just a camera by my side.
-Derrick