Table for One

I am an introvert. That is, I get energized by being alone, and being around a large group of people usually drains me. Something I've discovered, however, is that it is commonly mistaken that given the choice, introverts would always pick alone time over people time. This is just not the case.

Tonight I made dinner. It's been awhile since I've actually cooked, and I'm not sure if you could really call what I did cooking, in the technical sense of the term (10 minutes prep and 40 minutes in the oven hardly counts), but above you can see the fruits of my labor. I made a salad of avocado, pear, cranberries and feta on a bed of mixed greens with a slight drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. For my entree, I made pork tenderloin with a sweet and tangy sauce accompanied by organic brown rice. And, to finish it off, a glass of Gewurztraminer. It was quite tasty, if I do say so myself. But, as I sat down to dinner, it seemed to me that something was missing. I would have loved to sit down across from someone. Cooking for yourself is just not the same as cooking for other people, and the table conversation can be quite dull, if you know what I mean. So, though I've enjoyed having the house to myself over this break, I am really looking forward to the return of my roommates in less than a week.

Cynthia Heald defines contentment as "being satisfied with what's available." Thus, though I eagerly anticipate having a full house again, I will choose to be satisfied with my table for one. And how could I not be? I mean, look at it. It's quite pretty. It has chargers. And candles. And tulips. I have officially decided that tulips are my favorite flower. Aren't they beautiful?

I mean, really beautiful?
I mean, really, REALLY beautiful?I think so.