Saturday 22 June 2013

Excuse me Ma'am

Believe it or not, I am now a Ma'am.
On my way into the city earlier this week, while I was walking to catch the minivan (remember I leave Beast at home sometimes, especially if it's a short errand), I was approached by a young school boy.
"Excuse me Ma'am, can you tell me how to get to Ellerslie School (*) from here?"
I was taken aback, first by his well-mannered query, and then by the fact that he had called me "Ma'am."
Oh my gosh, am I now showing my age more these days?  Am I really now a Ma'am? When did "Miss" disappear?  Does this mean that I will be hearing "Gran" or "Mum" soon?
Composing myself, I replied, "Just follow this road, make a left down the hill and you will see a track between two houses, walk down the track and it will take you to the road just above the school entrance."
"Thank you Ma'am!"  Oh my goodness, there it was again, that "Ma'am."   I smiled.
I was happy to help, and I was extremely glad that he thought I was approachable and would give him proper directions.
"You're welcome my dear. Have a good day at school."
He hustled away.
Something else I wondered about. He was actually running to get to school.  He looked like a first or second former, since he was still wearing short pants.
Most kids these days are in no particular hurry to get to school.
He made my day. There is hope yet for the youngsters.
I am now a Ma'am.......I guess I'll have to deal with it.

Ellerslie Secondary School motto
Words I live by every day. 

(*) Ellerslie Secondary School (Established 1966) is a government secondary school on the island.

8 comments:

  1. lol. Being prematurely grey I'm already a sir. I've even had people giving me seats on the subway. I aint saying no to that though lol
    When they say Sir I'm always looking around expecting to see my dad then realizing they are actually speaking to me.

    my ellersie memories are of working in the area and seeing school kids in uniform in short pants actually buy alcohol from one of the shops on the main road. was a bit shocking.

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    Replies
    1. So happy to see you here. I enjoy reading your blog so much.
      Yes, Ellerslie had a somewhat bad reputation in years gone by, but I think that the school and its students have made it become a school to be reckoned with and it's now on a higher scale.
      I do get "Mum" sometimes, but only when I'm traveling with my daughter.

      Delete
  2. At least he was polite. I haven't been called Miss in a zillion years and am occasionally called 'Mom' by my students instead of Mrs. Schmitt. But that's ok, too. :o)

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    Replies
    1. Yes, his politeness was what initially struck me.
      Usually when I observe mannerly children, they are mostly raised by the old-school generation like myself.
      I am called "Mum" sometimes, but only when I'm out with my daughter.
      Your students seem like the best students in the world, but then again, they've got a great teacher.

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  3. So nice to meet polite children these days. that sounds like a lovely way to get to school....

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  4. The two things in life that I just can't tolerate are rudeness and folly.
    I love well-mannered folks, especially children.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh dear. Rudeness I abhor. Folly I have aplenty. I'd better not tell you that.

    I remember when I used to take deprived children from a down-town youth club (I had a big car and a boss who was a leader at the club and decided I would make myself useful). I was 21. These hard-case kids used to call me 'Sir' after I took them abseiling and they were terrified whereas it is a sport I have always loved. I learned a lot and I became very old long before my time.

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  6. GB, the folly I referred to is utter and complete stupidity....doing really stupid stuff.
    Abseiling is a new word for me, but I do like rock climbing and rappelling...smile.
    I think that "Sir" suits you just fine.

    ReplyDelete

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