@Steve: Where you issued your mock-challenge:
It is important to accept and appreciate that
FOR MANY, there is
nothing close to as terrifying as would be attempting to engage in flirtatious conversation with a stranger they find sexually attractive.
Your own lack of compunction in this area is outstanding, and far from normal. I'm sure you've instilled sufficient personal social acceptance in your daughter that she would not hesitate to engage with someone interesting to her - but I'm also confident that you've lovingly warned her against engaging with unknown 'Grown Ups'. I suspect her ability to reconcile the two messages will be very challenging as she enters her teen-years!
For many, this fear of casual, playful, light social interaction is crippling. The very notion that
someone might not mind being approached, inconceivable. (And yes, the word means what I think it means
I have had to address and conquer this issue with countless
extremely highly-powered and effective clients (senior Fortune 500 executives, famous athletes, musicians, actors & other celebrities, as well as respected and accomplished professionals of all varieties) and I'm confident when I say that before working through it, ANY of them would more-willingly shoplift something from a store I might point out across the street, than begin a conversation with an attractive stranger I might point out standing in front of that store.
Such is the paralyzing power of societies inhibition towards socialization - and it must be BROKEN, in most people's cases. (This goes for BOTH genders, straights AND gays alike.)
Johnny Soporno
Worthy Playboy