Please Please Don't Call Me Ma'am
So we've been at the new gym/club everyday this week. It's been like a vacation... in fact, The Husband & I both said we could probably skip the September vacation and just stay home it is so resort-like (no worries, Lucia, we're still coming!). I put the kids in the daycare for the first time yesterday.... I was astounded that The Daughter actually watched me leave and still played the entire hour. She never cried (I stood outside for a half hour waiting for her to need me) and the girls there were awesome with her. I was very surprised when I came back and said "HI!" that The Daughter said "Mama, Mama" but did not come running over to me. Normally she jumps in my arms and asks to nurse to reconnect.
While there I asked a few questions regarding various services and was working with a young man... he continually called me Ma'am and it was driving me absolutely insane. I finally asked him if he was told he had to call us Ma'am then he informed me that he's from Texas and it was just "how he was raised." Alright, okay, so you've got manners but good Goddess it makes me feel old. My name's Julie, thanks.
Have you ever wanted to do something really stupid... you know it is stupid but you find yourself doing it anyway. You aren't really sure why... you are sort of stuck in the momentum of the thought and you follow through. After you think "What am I doing?" and sorta regret it - it's bigger than you though now and there you are with it.
Comments
Julie - the new gym sounds wonderful! I wanted to ask, too, if I could link you to my blog. I see you linked now on other people's, but wanted to ask first if you feel comfortable with that or not. Also - are you meeting Lucia for a vacation? Oh how wonderful and fun!
Posted by: 3Queens | August 9, 2002 9:20 AM
of course, link away..I haven't finished my links.... been too lazy :) Yea, Lucia's family and my family are going to be meeting up on vacation in September. I'm really excited to meet them!
Posted by: Julie | August 9, 2002 9:34 AM
The new gym does sound incredible; i wish there was something like that around here. But not nearly *AS* incredible as it will be meet *ME*, lol ;-)
Posted by: Lucia | August 9, 2002 10:12 AM
Lucia - Damn, girl - that new haircut is making you conceited! ;-) lol
Julie - Oh - how FUN! Sounds like a really fun time :-)
Posted by: 3Queens | August 9, 2002 10:44 AM
I had a dream last night that I came down to visit you, Julie. If only...
I've done some amazingly stupid things because of some unknown force pulling or pushing me along. And somewhere in my brain is the voice saying, "Oh my goddess, Tanya, what have you done NOW?" On the other hand, I've had some amazingly fulfilling experiences because I went along with the force rather than turning away from it. Pain, yes. Embarrassment, certainly. But regrets? Strangely, the regrets seem to come from either playing too safe or not following through on whatever stupid train I am riding.
Really, it's like the song: Regrets? I've had a few; but then again, too few to mention...
Posted by: Tanya | August 9, 2002 10:48 AM
I am hogging your comments today, Julie - feel free to tell me to shut-TF up - lol :-). Tanya's comment made me think of the book, "Running from Safety" by Richard Bach. In it, he speaks about how all the most amazing things in his life have come from running from that which is safe and toward that which is unknowable and is pulling you. Anyway - sometimes that pull is irresistable.
Posted by: 3Queens | August 9, 2002 11:20 AM
Kahki, I love Richard Bach! Well, did. Until he apparently divorced Leslie and took up with some girl half his age. Blew my whole notion of soulmates right out of the water. Running from Safety. Exactly. I learn more about myself and about the world around me by doing incredibly stupid things because of the irresistable pull than I do from following the rules and doing what would be "best".
Posted by: Tanya | August 9, 2002 12:00 PM
Oh gosh, Kahki, did I really come across as conceited...sorry 'bout that...I guess the hair color chemicals went to my brain ;-)
I was just trying to convince Julie that she couldn't possibly skip the vacation, no matter how rad the new gym! ;-)
Posted by: Lucia | August 9, 2002 12:50 PM
Tanya, why not make dream a reality? Come visit!!!!!!!!!!!! We'd have so much fun ... and, hey, I live right by the beach :) The stupid-vibe is pulling me and I would learn sooo very much but at the same time it is so incredibly stupid that I can't justify it (well, I'm trying to).
Posted by: Julie | August 9, 2002 2:03 PM
Psst: If you don't like being called "ma'am," there's a pugugly guy over at Tanya's blog who'll call you "miss."
Posted by: diane | August 9, 2002 6:19 PM
LOL Diane, miss bothers me too but not nearly as much as Ma'am... for some reason that just makes me feel 70 years old...
Posted by: Julie | August 9, 2002 8:12 PM
That kid was right, though - calling all women "ma'am" is definitely a Texas thing. I remember when we first moved to Texas, I was really unnerved by being called Ma'am. It didn't make me feel old per se, because when we moved there I was only 20, had no kids, and was really tiny (as compared to the soccer mom look I have going on now). But still, it was a little hard to get used to.
How lame is it to admit that by the time we left Texas I had really gotten used to it, and now I sort of miss it? I consider myself a pretty staunch feminist, but it was still cool to see little 10-year-old boys opening doors for women as a social custom.
Posted by: mudra | August 10, 2002 9:02 PM