Two days ago, some group of year 4 who were also working in their thesis in the computer lab went ahead for lunch. Went by me (since my terminal is nearer to the entrance than theirs) happily together for lunch. Among the four of them, I know two of them quite well (even). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame them for not asking me along for lunch. I am no princess who needs an invitation for lunch, but I am not the kind who would jolly said "I will join you guys for lunch". Nor am I the petty one who would remember such things. But the point that I wanted to illustrate is, I am

a. an introverted extrovert. I.e. I am an extrovert among my best friends, getting along with them very well. But many others who have not know me or not well enough would think I am either an introvert or an arrogant snob.

b. a stubborn person. As much as I truly dislike lunching on my own, I will not take up a late-and-since-you-looking-for-us-then-oh-so-you-want-to-join-us-for-lunch invitation. Ok I imagined you are shaking your head in disbelief but I rather eat on my own. And that is what I did. Sorry, the stubborn me is not one who accepts pity- invitation by others.

But my best friend told me something that I wanted to thereby share with you guys here. He said, the food doesn’t taste nicer with people around you, the food doesn’t come in bigger portion with people around you. I guess he wanted to highlight to me that I am ok on my own. Instead, my best friend took up the role of being my lunch companion for that day. Talking to me over the phone while I tried to struggle holding my tray of food with one hand, and while I started eating. Though your companion didn’t last till I finish my food, I understood what he wanted me to understand. And I will start getting used to lunching on my own and not always associated loneliness with that. My best friend often lunches alone too but yes I am his phone-lunch-companion.

Thank you for all the life lessons that you share with me. I will always remember this lesson and practice them well. So now I have another reason to remain stubborn, to remain upbeat with eating lunch on my own (read: I thereby don’t need pity-lunch-invitation, thank you).

If there is one thing I want to tell you today
Lets be our phone-lunch-companion always.