So, I'm getting older. And, unfortunately, I look it. Salt and pepper in the goatee, a few stray grays in the do, wrinkles around the eyes. I'm not a 'moisturizer' or an 'Oil of Olay please stop me from looking older' kinda guy. When I was younger I would never have said this, but I'm much better now than I was in my 20's. It really is true that age and a little wisdom can make you a better person. So, I don't mind being in my, um, past middle age years. But there is one thing that is starting to bother me, and that is people calling me sir. Now, I don't mind the occasional 'Thank you sir' when buying something. What irritates me is young kids mostly. I'm a pretty polite person, and I'll hold the door open for you, but when some tweener says 'Thanks Sir', it just makes me cringe. And then, there's the people who are older, say, in their 30's, that call me sir. I know it's only a polite gesture, but man does it make me feel older than I am. Like I should be wearing a suit and tie and polished black shoes and a headful of gray hair. I lived in California for 25 years, and I still say 'dude' and 'bro', but I do use the occasional 'sir', especially in a professional setting, which is mainly my job. I guess it just comes with the territory. I wonder if I had one of those cool jobs where you got to wear flip flops, shorts, a concert t-shirt, sunglasses on your head, and you go surfing after work and look it, if they'd still call me 'sir'. I don't think I'll ever find that one out.
