Thanks for the kind words–even if you called me a drunk in so many words. :P

I definitely needed to give them an out and I probably could have done a better job of it. Not only did they deserve an out because I was looking at things from either my own perspective or simply a filter I putting on the situation, but 20 minutes in a diner is only snapshot and not itself representative of their individual lives. Although, when exploring something like this, it is also dangerous to write every caveat in, so it’s a delicate balance.

I also did not really mean for it to be commentary about being alone meaning something bad–no matter where I am in life, I will always make time to be by myself, especially with a good book. This personal time is very important to me and I will never give it up. It’s also not about being alone in, say, the sense of being in a relationship or not.

I just happened to be.. artistically?.. symbolically?.. struck at how it seemed like everyone in this place seemed isolated, whether they were with someone or not.. and spent many hours thinking and extrapolating from there.

Whether or not any of us there were truly representative of it, I do believe, quite strongly, that many people do practice their relationships with artifice–especially romantic relationships, but it’s much more than that… it’s just easier to point the romantic failures out.

I’m going to leave your comment about the pattern of conversation and twitter untouched for the moment, because I’ve been thinking about that and may write a post on it.

I’m glad the post got you thinking and thank you for the insightful comments and criticisms (this doesn’t need to be a dirty word!).

That said, I’m glad you gave everyone an out in the third to last paragraph. I muse that maybe your descriptions of the people are perhaps more a window into your soul, and what’s important to you now, than to theirs. (but I also know you well enough to know that you definitely have insight into others.)

This struck me as well: “but really they fall into the pattern of conversation without the reality of conversation.” This makes me think of twitter, of all things. Maybe patterns can be as substantive as conversations over the long haul?

One more thought: I’m in a twenty year relationship now with a family that demands much of my time, and how am I likely to be spending my time on a weekend morning? Sitting by myself in a café, reading, and maybe laughing to myself.

Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Isaac. It has induced a few in me this morning, and I appreciate that. :)

Though isn’t it also a kind of demented loop? Often, you need feedback to realize you’re not being honest and that can be hard to come by (because that kind of feedback requires honesty)… and then because that feedback is often more rare than it should be, it can be hard to listen to when you get it because it’s not common. That’s simplified, sure–there can be a lot at stake to keep up appearances… etc. etc., though I think it is all ultimately self-defeating.