[Publib] Pet Names

[Jesse Ephraim]

>Now I am going to throw my two cents worth in...
>we have become a society remarkably thin skinned 
>and easily bent out of shape about all of the wrong 
>things! I love the public in all their regional/gender/age 
>based quirkiness and am glad they have taken the 
>time to come to the library. Hon, sweetie, chief, boss, 
>it's all part of dealing with the public, and I don't go 
>home and cry myself to sleep because someone 
>wasn't PC that day!

Absolutely!

It takes an awful lot to offend me, and even if I were offended by
something, I would remain courteous to a patron.  It's just not that big
a deal in the long run.

I'm short, but it wouldn't bother me if patrons always called me "little
guy" or something like that.  If they don't mean to be offensive, then
there's no reason to get upset.  If they do intend to be offensive, not
reacting to the "pet name" usually removes their desire to use it (the
"kill 'em with kindness" approach).  Either way, I don't let it bother
me - life is too short to worry about stuff like that.

In my personal life, I always look to the intent of the speaker if a
statement sounds rude.  If the person doesn't intend to be rude, I don't
take it that way.  For example, when I was working in a bookstore in the
early 90s I had a 3-year-old walk up to me and say "You're fat."  I said
"Yes, I am."  He asked me why I was fat, and I told him that it was
because I drank too much Dr. Pepper every day.  He was satisfied with
that answer and walked off.  He didn't intend to be offensive - he just
noticed something that seemed unusual to him and asked for an
explanation.  I didn't take any offense to it at all.  

Jesse Ephraim

Adult Services Librarian
Southlake Public Library
1400 Main Street, Suite 130
Southlake, TX  76092
(817) 748-8247
jephraim at ci.southlake.tx.us