Over the weekend, I decided to go to the movie theater to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I really wanted to see it and I was also curious about how I would feel going to the movies alone. Going to the movies by myself is not something that I felt particularly comfortable doing, however, I thought that it was something I needed to do eventually. That being said, I figured I would just get it over with.
I drove myself to the theater and purchased one ticket for the 7:30 p.m. showing. I felt a little nervous. I had somehow convinced myself that people actually cared that I was at the movies alone. Once I got over my own self-consciousness, I realized that no one was looking at me, or even noticing me for that matter. I was all alone and was free to make all of the decisions; from where to sit, to what type of snacks to buy.
I decided on raisinets (pretty basic, but also pretty delicious) and I took my seat near the front of the theater. It wasn’t very crowded so I didn’t experience much anxiety over choosing a seat. After I sat down, I waited for the previews to come on and this, I have to admit, was a little bit awkward. It wasn’t awkward due to anyone else but myself, however. I felt the need to converse with someone for no real reason, but I kept my nose down and my eyes focused on the screen of my iPhone during this time.
The previews finally began and my feelings of discomfort and awkwardness faded as I became more intrigued in the new movies that were coming out. I was immersed in the movie when it finally came on and I didn’t even think about the fact that I was by myself. When I came out of the movie theater, I felt a sense of accomplishment for having done something that had made me uncomfortable.
Before this weekend, I had never felt truly comfortable going places alone. It’s a hard thing to do, especially if it’s somewhere like the movie theater, where everyone is with someone else. In life we all have to do things that we aren’t always comfortable with. Pushing yourself a little outside of your comfort zone is honestly a really good way to grow as a person. My own personal experience made me realize that I am able to do things on my own and go places by myself. This realization gave me a surprising amount of freedom.