Take Me Out
I've had enough alone for now.
Welcome to Cheaper Than Therapy, a healing newsletter for 80s babies by Shani Silver. This newsletter does not publish free content, but if you’d like to read it you can subscribe here. Thank you for enjoying the work of independent writers.
Unless you’re very new here, you’re aware of my feelings on doing things alone. Rather publicly, I’m a fan. Having spent more adult years than I’ll admit receding to my own living room because I thought single people couldn’t go out alone (I really did you guys), eventually I took to it, and enjoyed doing things by myself so much that I suggested others do the same. So fervent was my advocacy for solo dining, solo movies, solo trips to the park, solo wine tastings, solo book signings, you name it—I went so hard in the solitary paint that these days I’m having a bit of a “no actually, fuck this” about it all.
I’ve done it alone! All of it! For years! And then more years! The primary way I do things is alone and for the sake of this newsletter (and only this newsletter) I’m going to gloss over the realities of never splitting the check. What’s really snagging my nylons these days is the fact that I overcame the shame, stigma, and fear of doing things alone years ago, and put my own work into practice like a champion. I did it, I won. And I’m still taking myself everywhere I want to go. I’m looking around at restaurant openings and outdoor movie nights and thinking to myself that solo experiences are wonderful but goddamn isn’t it time for a little company, too? I do want to do the things but no, I don’t want to do them all alone. Bitch, take me out.