“Sir”
So, I am in my early fifties. My daughter once asked when she was younger and didn’t know any better, after watching a show on TV, “Dad, what is middle age?” I told her its half way between 0 and 100…reassuring her that I will live to be at least 100. “That makes you middle age, right?”
Shit…51 is worse than being middle age. It means there are more years behind you then in front of you.
So far, I have been pretty good with being the age that I am. I keep reminding myself that I am a kid at heart. I like fart jokes, I love to laugh, hell, if the Flintstones were on TV right now, I would be watching it (that dates me, doesn’t it?). I don’t like to think of myself as a fuddy-duddy. When I see old acquaintances from my days in high school I always think that they are the fuddy-duddy guys…not me. I think of myself as the same as I was back in high school. I was recently complimented by an old high school friend after not seeing me since high school. “You look great”, she said. I told her it was all the fat in my face that helps keep the wrinkles away.
But, I am concerned that people who are younger than me think I am a fuddy-duddy mostly because I am the age that I am. Yes, my hair is grey(ing) and yes I am thinning (my hair…not my gut). But, there are younger people than me who are grey or have no hair at all…right?
It hit home when I was out with a friend attending a car-racing event. We were in a track-side suite and were being treated like VIPs. Fully catered meal, free booze, access to the pits, a meet and greet with a real race car driver. It was awesome….until I had a photo op with the driver (who is 33 by the way). When he came out for the meet and greet and I had the chance to shake his hand and wish him good luck, he referred to me as “sir”.
It got even worse when the female server at the bar asked me if I would like a lime with my Grey Goose, “sir”?
Sir? What the fuck? I don’t deserve to be called a sir. I don’t mind being referred to as sir on form letters from my bank, cell phone company or utilities provider….not by an Indy car race driver OR a cute bartender!
What about me makes me a sir in the eyes of others?
I don’t want to be called sir, unless the Queen decides to knight me accordingly, which I doubt will ever happen. Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney…Sir Stephen Gosewich….that…I don’t mind!!
Call me by my first name- that will do just fine.
If you don’t know me by name, then say. “hey” or “yo, dude”.
Just don’t call me asshole.
