The Vast Empty Cinema and the Absolute Luxury of Watching a Movie Alone

Dear Delyara, I snuck out to the 2:00 PM showing of an old indie film today, and when the lights went down, I realized I was the only person in the entire auditorium. I sat dead center, put my feet over the seat in front of me, and let the giant screen swallow me whole. There was an incredible, almost rebellious decency to it. No rustling popcorn bags, no glowing phone screens in my peripheral vision, no needing to perform reactions for anyone else. For two hours, I wasn't an employee, a partner, or a citizen; I was just a ghost floating through someone else's story.