Q: If I am a single woman in my early 40s, is it appropriate for me to go to "happy hour" alone? I have conflicting opinions from friends and family. Some feel it makes me appear desperate or lonely. Well, I am lonely. I would like to get out with the rest of the world, but I don’t have girlfriends to go out with. My friends are married with children and are too busy. I do the Internet dating thing, but feel I need to get out in person more often.
A: Of course it’s appropriate for you to cruise the HH scene solo. You are an adult, and you can do anything you want, within the law. Plus, why do you think packs of guys hit the happy hours with such gusto? It’s not for the free Vienna sausages; no, it’s for the chance to bump into a gal just like you on the way to the men’s room or at the bar staring into your glasses of beer.
So, our stance is that, yes, Friday night happy hour is an appropriate and even inspiring place to be. And wear something cute, OK?
However: Although you will definitely plug into some swinging social interaction by going to happy hour alone, you must be prepared for the onslaught of junior engineers, unemployed real estate agents and aspiring bank tellers who will want to impress you with their crisp khakis and BMW 325s. Sure, they might be married, or just on the prowl for a Friday night stress reliever. Which is why you have to fold up your expectations into an origami crane the size of a toothpick and stick them deep inside that little zippered pocket in your Fendi clutch. That’s just the scene, and you’ll need to roll with it.
— McClatchy Newspapers
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Male Call answers questions from men and women on etiquette, relationships, men’s style and more. Write to malecall@mercurynews.com.
