I AM the solitary, loner type; not the “psycho” type who makes the news once in a while, but a sociable loner type.

I am sure there are many similar people out there, maybe even the ones reading this piece right now.

No, I am not exploring some midday culinary delights as the title suggests.

I am, instead, interested in theorising the three types of lunches we have to face in general in the forced social groupings around our employment.

Us loners get a lot of bad press because of how loners are (mis)represented in the media, usually in the stereotype of a lone, Caucasian gunman (though the issue is really about gun control, not “lonerism”).

Eating lunch alone is an empowered act, one that reclaims your individual agency in a world that demands every bit of your attention.

It is lunchtime right now as I write this and I am happy to be alone in my office, which I share with several colleagues who are either teaching online from home or out for lunch.

They are good company, and I would join them for lunch if they were here.

I dislike going to lunch during office lunchtime because everyone is having their lunch at the same time.

This often leads to congestion – like our traffic – and having to deal with delayed orders or waiting for a table to clear up, especially if you are out for lunch with colleagues.

So here is my definition of the three types of lunches we all have to deal with in our quest for a paycheck.

The necessary lunch

This type of lunch is more about bond-building and socialising with colleagues, with whom you may not hang out over the weekend.

This is a good opportunity to catch up on the latest office gossip or spill the beans about some new change or directive from upper management.

You may notice that “necessary lunch” groupings are often hierarchical – upper management seldom have lunch with the average clerk unless there is a need to discuss or inform some pressing matter.

This lunch is also good for new employers to figure out who they can trust in a company or an organisation.

My advice: during a “necessary lunch”, be the observer; let everyone else talk and take the limelight. You will better figure things out when you are not the centre of attention.

The rushed lunch

This type of lunch is the least ideal, in my opinion.

It is promoted in advertising and/or popular media as part of the dynamic and energetic lifestyle of go-getters who live in urban and corporate worlds. This is how capitalism infringes on one of the daily delights of life – lunch – and remodels it into a refuelling act.

The “rushed lunch” is best avoided unless absolutely necessary as it is unhealthy for two reasons.

First, rushing food intake is bad for the digestive system. This may cause indigestion and other short-term ailments, which, in the long run, may turn into full-blown ailments.

Second, “quick fix” foods tend to be less nutritious because, well, it is faster to cook food in heated oil.

If absolutely necessary, eat a fruit (or a mixed-fruit cup) and some nuts.

Fruits are not “dessert”. They can be a meal when paired with proteins, such as nuts.

The zen lunch

This is the pinnacle of lunch in the busy and impersonal bustle at the workplace.

This type of lunch is solitary, and one without any facetious exchange of pleasantries or discomfort from having to walk to an eatery, wait for a table, wait to order, wait for the food… you get the idea.

The “zen lunch” may involve home-made meals or “tapau”-ing your food back to the comforts of your air-conditioned office. The former is recommended in these increasingly tight economic times.

If you dislike your office, you may find other places that the average person will not associate with lunch, e.g. a staircase or your car.

The point is to completely shut off from the rest of the world, be alone with your thoughts and revel in the sensory delights of whatever it is you have decided to munch on for lunch.

Reclaim your agency over these imposed ideas about what “lunch” connotes.

Some colleagues may pass a sarcastic remark or two, but you are privately assured that you have risen above the herd and recharged for the rest of the afternoon slog. – June 17, 2022.

* Azmyl Yunor is a touring underground recording artiste, and an academic in media and cultural studies. He has published articles on pop culture, subcultures and Malaysian cultural politics. He adheres to the three-chords-and-the-truth school of songwriting, and Woody Guthrie’s maxim “All you can write is what you see”. He is @azmyl on Twitter.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.