I stepped into Main Street after my team meeting for coffee and lunch. My former co-worker Beth was standing behind the counter and provided a smile when she spotted me.
"Good morning, miss," I greeted.
She replied, "Did you forget my name already?"
I've been referring to unmarried ladies as "miss" since I reached maturity myself. I like the sound of it. My female campers were "miss." My female math students were "miss." My younger co-workers were "miss." I know that we live in a culture and among a generation averse to terms of endearment or respect, but I feel that when I call someone "miss," it should be understood that I consider her a lady.
[But then, I have a resident that only calls me "sir" when she is growing impatient and demanding. When did the connotation of these terms become derogatory? I missed something...]
1 comment:
fyi: there are those of us girls that like it. i have felt respected when people at work have called me "miss". Of course, they didn't know my name.
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