Too shy*

Occasionally, over the years, I have convinced myself that I am, at heart, quite shy. But I don't think that's true. I think I probably have nothing more than a simple aversion to speaking to people whom I don't know. I don't really know whether that's even particularly unusual.

I have seen many people who are genuinely shy, most often children, I think, where perhaps it's more obvious, less well disguised. Indeed, I have seen my own children - none of whom is particularly shy - standing on the periphery of some new, enticing situation, summoning the courage to take part. 

Today, we had a socially distanced picnic in St John's Gardens, and there was a little girl there with her parents. I guess she was about three or four. After a while I noticed that she kept looking across at us with that shy longing but I couldn't work out why.

In the end, though, her mum crossed the gap between our two parties and explained that her daughter had a new camera and that she wanted to take our photo. So, of course we agreed. It turned out that it was one that printed instantly and, having taken it, she came over and handed me the photo.

We all thanked her and she looked so pleased. And then she went back to her mum and dad.

*No. I was not a Kajagoogoo fan. (Apart from Nick Beggs' bass playing on 'Big Apple'.)

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Reading: 'Jews Don't Count' by David Baddiel