I am officially old.
This epiphany was not brought on by a birthday, or even a half-birthday. It is not because I found my first grey hair, or because college kids think I’m a geezer. No, it was simply an unexpected politeness from a child.
When walking from the bus to the townhouse after work today, I happened across two boys sitting on their bicycles debating some topic of supreme importance to ten-year-olds. The kids in my neighborhood generally don’t acknowledge the existence of anyone, so I was a little surprised when one of the boys stopped talking as I neared and looked straight at me. I smiled at him, and as I passed he said in the most courteous voice imaginable:
“Good afternoon, ma’am. How are you?”
Ma’am?!?
I get that from constituents on the phone all the time, or in emails from __C students whom I’ve never met. But not from little boys I walk by. My smile was an attempt to ingratiate myself to them. Not to inspire that “oh, an adult” feeling I still remember experiencing when I was that age, when I would stand a little straighter and speak a little clearer when an elder entered the room.
I’m glad Emily is picking up piña colada mix on her way home tonight…
2 comments:
Yeah, I'm "ma'am"ed all day by 18 - 20 year olds. I've discovered the mid-twenties are flexible. I leave my hair down when I need help, so I look younger, and pull it back when I go to work, which makes me look older. Widening and narrowing of the eyes has a similar effect, as does raising and lowering the pitch of your voice.
After watching Sarah's pictures the other day on her computer, I found myself amazed that as much as I don't feel like we've all changed, we really did look just like the little lawyerlings sauntering around campus now... Yeek. What will we think in 30 years looking back? What will our KIDS think?
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