Friday, November 10, 2006

Ma'am I Am

I started work last night. It wasn't bad . . . until I went over to help some teenage girls who were shopping. I asked if they were doing alright and if they needed any help. They said, "No, ma'am, we're fine."

Ma'am. I've tried to deny it for a long time. In fact, when I was a youth minister in Arkansas, one of my posted rules was, "Do not call Amy 'ma'am!' " I was admonished (remember, Shane?), because the kids were being raised to say, "ma'am," and "sir," and I needed to encourage that, but I was only 24 years old at the time and certainly didn't feel like a ma'am!!!!

But last night wasn't the first time, just recently, that I've been called "ma'am" by teenagers. I don't know what magical point in life makes you a "ma'am" or a "sir," but apparently I have reached it. It is six years after I declared to a group of teenagers in Arkansas that I wasn't a ma'am, and at some moment in those six years, I have become a ma'am. So I concede. I don't tell them anymore not to call me that. Ma'am I am.

6 comments:

S & D McNary said...

Yes, I remember the admonition. I also think that the ban on calling Amy "ma'am" was a great way of connecting with them. They respected you at 24 and because of their great respect, they called you "ma'am." As for the teens you met at work . . . they just think you are old. :-)

MMA Lady said...

Yeah, well, that was my point. You get old, then you become a ma'am. :o)

Court said...

I'M STILL NOT A MA'AM! Heh.

I'm "Miss Courtney".

<3 you! CBB

AKat said...

this makes me laugh! you're in tejas now, ma'am. i know, i get it, too. "yes, ma'am." "no, ma'am." (do we look old? no!) it's just kosher in these parts, i guess. so, where are you working?!

MMA Lady said...

Palais Royal. And NO we do not look old, we look GREAT!!!! We're hotties. Hottie hot hot hot hotties. Don't you think?

Court said...

I hope you had a WONDERFUL b-day.

Love you bunches!!

CBB