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So it seems that I have a rival for the attentions of Mr GQ. I learnt this the other day whilst we waited for a bus at our usual stop.

This girl was as bold as she was brazen. She batted her eyelashes, flitted her hair over her shoulder like a show pony all the while flashing him a huge smile, and walking dangerously close to him.

I witnessed this with slight bemusement. And when the man she was with said, "Please stop bothering that man", I caught myself thinking, yes...please stop bothering him, with a pang of irrational jealously setting in when I saw him look down and smile at her.

Irrational? Yes, see, I already know what you are assuming of the situation. You think the girl is some kind of barefaced temptress... you would be wrong. See the girl was actually quite harmless, further more she was cute.... But that's probably because she was only three!

So you see why I say my feeling of jealousy was irrational. The thing is, even though I am aware of the absurdity of the situation, it didn't stop me from feeling that way, and I am quite sure I know why.

I had managed to see something in that child which I was pretty much unable to see in myself- confidence. She was strong enough to recognize that she saw something she liked, (even at three I must say she has great taste) and she went out of her way to get the attention she required from him. His favourable response burned me further because it made me wonder whether I would have garnered the same response?

Children are an inspiration, aren't they? Use this moment to think back, back to your childhood, when you were young and fearless, when you lived your day to day life with hope and no sense of (or fear of) rejection. Somehow as we get older society makes us less hopeful, more pessimistic and less willing to put ourselves out there. It's such a shame really. I’m thinking it's time I stop acting my age.

Onyx Knight