Solitude?

I went to a cafe in town for breakfast. It’s located on the first level of an apartment building slightly attached. It’s a nicely open space with lots of greenery to give a chill oasis. I walked in around 9:40 and almost every section was filled.

But there were plenty of space for other folks. I looped around the place and found myself in an alcove, limited view of the rest of the place.

In my line of sight was the house shaped conference section. I say conference because it holds a projection board and the couch is enough to fit about 10 people. There a girl sat with her hijab on and no one else near her.

Next to me sat an empty seat… there’s enough space so that people aren’t on top of each other. Yet no one sat next to me.

To my left was a young lady taping away at a spreadsheet with headphones on, and no one sat across from her.

Further down a young Asian man sat with his MacBook, looking a little stressed by the amount of time his hands went into his hair.

Directly across from me sat a young woman, on her laptop at a table that sits 4 people. All alone.

Everyone at this cafe sat in solitude unless they were meeting a friend.

All concentrated on the device before them, some working, others like me, enjoying the morning before getting a head start to my day.

A man lounged comfortably in the bird cage section with his legs sprawled, claiming territory to the space he occupied.

I smiled in observation, on the inside I can say that we all crave a little company. But in this oasis of a cafe, everyone by choice, chose to sit alone. Enjoying our iced coffee, late, matcha as we go towards another heat wave.

Is it our goal that made us choose to be alone? Is it the thought of not disrupting the person directly in front of us in case of a work call? No, it’s a choice to sit alone and stay in our own little world just a little bit longer.