I was taking a walk in my neighborhood when a man was driving by and slowed down beside me. He rolled down his window and began asking me questions.
“Are you married?” “Do you have a boyfriend?” I was uncomfortably answering his questions, but once he got to the fourth one, a young girl popped into view from the passenger’s seat (I hadn’t seen her previously). She couldn’t have been more than 6 years old. She told this guy “STOP BOTHERING THIS WOMAN, SHE DON’T WANT YOU!”
I couldn’t help but laugh as the little girl crossed her arms and gave the man a stern look. The guy, clearly caught off guard, stammered, “I— uh, she— I was just—”
The girl didn’t let him finish. She turned to me, looked me up and down like I was the most important person in the world, and declared, “You’re way too cool for him. He’s probably got a weird mustache or something.”
At that, the man’s face went beet red, and I almost felt bad for him—until I noticed the girl give him a “told-you-so” look.
“Thanks, kid,” I said, laughing. “You’ve got my back!”
As they drove off, the little girl waved at me. “Remember, lady, you don’t need a boyfriend to have a good day!”
I watched them drive away, the man’s face still redder than a tomato, and couldn’t help but think that maybe kids *did* have all the answers.