[Publib] "Young man" as a "pet" name

[John]

Actually, I'd never thought of all these salutations as "pet names," but...as with Joe Schallan, so with me: I am only three years behind Joe in age, maturity, and wisdom, but I get called "young man" and "young fella."  We have a couple of older men from SeniorNet who teach Internet and word processing classes here, and to them I am generally one of the "young" creatures noted above.  Of course, I also have been called "ma'am" at one time or another, in my life as a librarian, when my hair was much longer than it is now, and when it has been its current fairly conservative length.  It's somewhat enjoyable watching the evident discomfort, and listen to the backtracking, that goes on when the person who calls me "ma'am" discovers his/her error.  Though I never let on that I am enjoying myself, as that would be unprofessional.

I am amused to hear the--of course--mostly female staff here, or at any library in which I've worked, refer to each other or the group as "the other girls," "the ladies," and "the gals."  I frequently have gotten compliments from female staff on my exquisite taste in sweaters--all purchased by my wife, and not by me, I might add--but I don't *dare* tell any of them (this is my rule, and not anything that staff members have said) that I happen to think their apparel is attractive, on any given day.

Anyway, as long as no one calls me an Official Bad Name, I think that God's in His/Her heaven (if there is one--I'm trying to be inclusive here) and all's sort-of right with the small world that I inhabit.  I won't get into the Weltschmerz--there we go with Joe's German words again--of the World at large.

John D. Richmond, Director
Alpha Park Public Library District
3527 So. Airport Road
Bartonville, IL 61607-1799
Ph: (309) 697-3822, x. 12
Fax: (309) 697-9681
E-mail: jrichmond at alphapark.org
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Laughter and tears are a good index of being human.  Crocodiles look as though they're crying, but they're not sad.  You can program a computer to say something funny, but it will never get the joke.  -- N. T. Wright