A funny girl.

Anyone who knows me and love me, would say that I am mischievous. Anyone who knows me but doesn't love me would probably just call me a pain in the butt. Okay truth be told, those who love me call me that too.

In fact, my mother's nickname for me is Jayne the Pain. Whether that's simply because my name conveniently rhymes with pain, or whether she considers that to be true, is a question I prefer to leave unanswered.

My father often used to say I was a "funny girl". But judging from his expression when he would say this, I don't think he meant funny ha-ha.

When you take all of this into consideration, it's funny that,I as a teenager used to roil in embarrassment at my father's antics.

I remember one prank gone wrong. Dad was pretending to cut off my cousin's plait only.... he got a bit carried away and did actually end up cutting her hair.

Fast forward to when I was in my 20's. I was feeling a bit down in the dumps for no good reason that I can recall. However what I do remember is mournfully wondering how come I seemed to have such an overdeveloped sense of mischief.

Like a gift from heaven, I came a cross a photo of my father. He was in the sea, pulling a funny face for the camera. I was flooded with joy. This was the reason I'm the way I am. I got it from my father.

Now that my father has passed on, I think fondly of him shaking his head and pronouncing the words which used to make me feel so mad, but not anymore. Because now I realise it's true. I am a funny girl.