How long is too long ?

Is there such thing as too long ? 

 The title might suggest otherwise if some of you thought I would start writing hanky panky intimate stuff but you are wrong. The issue I want to touch here is , is there such thing as being single for too long ? It crossed my mind to ponder such question after a so not fortunate event happened on my lunch time.

 As usual, given the nature of my job, eating alone is not something new to me and whether I am on my working day or not , I still dine and do things alone mostly by myself. I picked a western restaurant in the zest for some grilled meats and so I walked in, greeted by the waiter before sitting in. Just as I was about to flip the menu, one of the waitress came up to me and gave me a familiar look as if she had known me before. 

On second glance, I did not remember dating her and neither she was one of my clients. With her cap on , smiley face she started speaking 

“ Hi sir, I’d seen you before. I think when I worked in Bali Thai ( Thai restaurant) you always like to eat the same food and always eat alone, one person.” 

At that moment, I had to giver her credits for recognising me but on the other hand, her words of “ eat alone “ irked me and I was trying not to be rude, I replied her 

“ yes, good memory."and proceeded to order in the hope of her not interrogating me more with the eating alone context.  Yes, I know perhaps I was too sensitive and she meant well. 

However, what she said opened up my mind to another idea which I did not realise that actually I had been eating by myself every day ( including weekends ) for almost 4 years now. It has been a significant period in which even a stranger could pick up and recognised me eating alone. 

I did not imply that being single eating alone is not a good idea and forbidden thing to do in this new era but what she said kinda reminded me of being single for years. Although I have been dating new guys, here and there but at the end of the day, back to square one eating alone. 

 So how long is long enough being single or do you actually wait until your alarm goes off telling you you have been alone significantly enough for others to pick it up?