She ran flying by my desk, chasing after her mother who was there to meet with David, the graphic artist who works near me in the forgotten nether region at the rear of our office. Initially I paid them little heed as their presence wasn't my business, but as I proceeded to get up and go corelate wires with schematics I noticed the child's stuffed animal sitting on the floor.
"Little girl, you dropped your doll", I had said to which she sharply turned around and proclaimed "This is not a doll, this is distinguished monkey.". "I'm sorry" I replied, gently returning distinguished monkey back to its mature owner, this precious four year old asian child standing before me who had chosen a respectable name for her beloved companion.
I smiled and turned to go about my business but I couldn't help to think I never had anything when I was four that I would have called distinguished, most certainly not the curious george that would play with me in the mud and the woods. Even today I have few, if any, possessions that really deserve such high praise. Yet that four year old, despite having let distinguished monkey get a little filthy from the floor, still clung to it with pride and respect, understanding that both the monkey, and herself, were truly distinguished.