Going to the Movies Alone
Maybe it’s all in my head, but it seems like there’s a stigma around doing certain things alone. I especially feel it here in the US. Dining at nice restaurants, traveling, going to the movies, etc.
Of course, I’ve done all those things solo, but I definitely felt self-conscious. Traveling for work, I’d eat at the nicest places my company card could handle. Going abroad alone can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Hell, even just loading up a pack and heading out for a few days in the wilderness can be life-changing.
And then, there’s the movies. I don’t know why, but it feels weird.
The Akira 4K re-release is in town this weekend. Only the subbed version has reasonable showtimes and my family isn’t about that. My wife would usually sit through anything just to hang out, but my son would likely be bored. They’re all about the dubs; the sometimes highly emotive Japanese anime voices grate on them. No shade; I totally understand.
So, I decided I’d just go on my own. But when I was about to buy the ticket, something stopped me. I just couldn’t do it. It’s stupid, but I realized I’d feel weird in the theater by myself.
So, I ended up downloading it. I rationalized it by telling myself I have a 75” TV and a comfy couch. I can save a ton of money by just watching it at home. But really, deep down, I know the truth.
It’s weird. I never feel that pressure in Asia. I feel it much less in Europe. There’s just something about this place.
As for the weekend
I’ve realized that many of my recent posts have been themed in some way. I’ll have a topic in mind and put some effort into addressing it specifically. There's nothing wrong with that; it's just not why I started writing here.
I think I noticed some decent readership and felt compelled to write more focused posts. But I’m here to ramble! I’m not here to research, to rewrite, to think of what others might find interesting.
I’ll never be a writer, a popular “blogger”, or much of anything really. I’m okay with that. Sometimes I just like to take words from my head and put them on the screen. The sound of the keyboard and the mental calm that follows, however short-lived.
I’ve no plans this weekend. The boy doesn’t have a match, it’s about as hot as the surface of the sun outside, and the closest mall had an active shooter recently (‘Merica!). Just a lazy suburban Saturday for us.
I’ll enjoy coffee and silence. I started reading “The Devotion of Suspect X” by Keigo Higashino the other day, so maybe I’ll make some progress. I’ve also been tempted to download Elden Ring again. I haven’t played the DLC and the new starting classes in the Tarnished Edition look tempting.