On becoming a professional flirt.

I've just read the most marvellous novel called The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro (she also wrote Elegance and Innocence). The story is based on a young man who is recruited to a small private company in London to become a professional flirt – to woo, flatter, spice up, make swoon various carefully researched targets (women) at the behest of their husband/lover/boyfriend/father/boss etc.

It's all conducted very much above board (there are sets of 'rules' the flirts have to comply with i.e. not making an physical contacts with the targets in order to establish professional distance etc) with the aim being to reintroduce the bloom back into a woman who for whatever reason may be feeling little overwhelmed/plain/unappreciated/dull etc.

 

Although a typical light hearted romance novel, something deeper in the concept struck a chord with me. How delightful to spend time flattering others. Not in a I'm-trying-to-get-in-your-pants kind of way, but in a I-can-appreciate-your-beauty/heart/talents/soul-and-I'd-like-to-acknowledge-that kind of way. Now, I've never been shy of telling strangers that I admire their hair/clothes/shoes/smile/beauty, but it suddenly struck me that I could make a conscious and concerted effort to recognise the beauty of people's souls in everyday life; the mother tenderly looking after her child, the lady of a certain age with an elegant air, the florist taking care to water their seedlings, the gentleman with the great posture, the butcher deftly handling his knife – these are living works of art in our every day existence but so often we miss them, imaging art and beauty to belong somewhere on a wall or in a gallery. Our social conditioning and fear of being ridiculed inhibit us to acknowledge them publicly. So, my challenge to myself is to become a professional flirt for three months.

Care to join me?

 

Interesting, isn't it, how things just seem to fall into place when they're meant to be. I don't think this means we can become complacent with that, "oh, if it's going to happen to/for me, the universe/God/Buddha/Allah will make it so," sort of attitude, cos I believe that's such a passive attitude, tantamount to being a victim or handing over your power as a human to make decisions and create the kind of life you want to live. No, what I'm referring to is that delicious moment when we shed the blinders we generally amble through life with and wake up to the innumerable opportunities and choices we are constantly presented with and then take action on them.

Hm, cryptic at all? I'll expand shortly!