This was inspired by the thread where OP is trying to read her book waiting for a flight and ends up making unwelcome small talk with a 5 year old for half an hour!
Last week, in a Facebook group I am in, someone posted a picture of their son, aged about 10, sitting at a table in a hotel restaurant with an older gentleman. The story was that this was the OPs son, and having observed this chap dining alone every day, had gone to sit with him for a meal. The OP said the gentleman was thrilled (he didn’t look that thrilled but to be fair, he probably didn’t know he was being photographed).
There we’re HUNDREDS of comments praising this little boy, saying the story had them in tears and how we should all be more like him etc. To be fair, the boy comes off pretty well, he clearly just genuinely wanted to do something nice and some kids are sensitive to people being alone. But I felt like the worst person ever because clearly I was the only one imagining how livid I would be if my peaceful lone dinner was disturbed in this manner 🤣
i am totally seeing this from my perspective, the perspective of someone who fantasises about being alone because I never am, I know loneliness can be horrendous and the world would be better if we looked after each other. But now reading the responses on the other thread, and the horror other people felt at the idea of speaking to a strangers child instead of peacefully reading their book, makes me feel very slightly better…
AIBU to think that not every person who is alone is lonely and should be turned into a Facebook post, possibly without their knowledge?!