Want to feel 10 years older, instantly?
Try being told "Yes, Ma'am." By a grown-up.
That's how my new 21-year-old coworker answered a question I asked her on her first day of work.
And then she called me Mrs. Fuhrman.
Ouch.
I tried not to look too pained, but I think my tone was kind of sharp as I said "Oh, no!" Then, trying not to sound like I was begging, I said, "Really, please call me Amy."
The damage was done, though. Nothing reflects the passage of time more clearly than the way others see us. While my college days might feel like just yesterday to me, the rest of the world obviously took off their rose-colored glasses.
But I can't blame my co-worker. She is a sweet person, who was raised just like me — to address those older than her with respect.
While I won't do the math here, let's just say I have more than a few years on her, so she was right to be extra-polite when meeting someone new.
Even if it did sting a little.
Maybe it's actually the universe coming back to bite me.
It doesn't seem that long ago that I was 21 and just starting my first job out of college at a newspaper.
I timidly knocked on the door and asked "Mr. Conner" if there was anything he needed me to do.
I still remember his painful wince when he looked up, and how he said — a little sharply, actually — "Tom. Call me Tom."
Now I know how he felt. Sorry, Tom.
I am sure there will come a day when I'll think it's charming to be called "Ma'am" by a 21-year-old. I'll probably smile, thinking about how nice it is that young people still have good manners.
But until then — please, please just call me Amy.
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