Attracting unwanted sympathy

Dear Abby: I’m a middle-age woman who has survived a 30-year toxic relationship with a covert narcissist. I am now blessed to be able to divorce him and get therapy for his emotional abuse. I have six amazing grown children. I’m also a sophomore in college and have a part-time job. This is the first time in my life I am able to actually do things by myself. To say the least, I am busy.

Most of the time, I enjoy it – shopping, movies and even dining out. However, for some reason (especially while dining out), I get unwanted expressions of sympathy for being alone. Strangers comment about how sad it is to see me eating all alone. One woman offered to introduce me to her brother. She went so far as to ask for my phone number so she could pass it along to him. I have friends and family, and if I had wanted company at that time, I would have invited someone. Sometimes I want to be alone to enjoy my “me” time. How can I respond to these unwanted comments and nip the conversations in the bud so they don’t disrupt my entire meal?

Dear Alone: Here’s how. Smile and thank these kind people for their thoughtfulness. Say that at this point in your life you are enjoying comfortable solitude. And the next time you enter a restaurant, ask the host to seat you farther back, so you are not the first person these individuals encounter on the way to their table. As to the sweet lady who tried to fix you up with her brother, I hope in the future you might be open to whatever possibilities come your way.