Give a Little Respect: How Do you Address Your Elders?

As I rounded the corner of my parent’s house, I nearly ran into my neighbor, who also happened to be my godfather. He was walking on the cement sidewalk that ran along our house and next to the short fence surrounding their patio.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hi, Bill,” I said.

There wasn’t much more to say so we continued on our way. Nothing too remarkable in the day of a child.

Except later, my dad stopped me, “Did you see Dr. C before?”

I nodded.

“Did you call him Bill?”

I nodded.

“Don’t do that. You call him Dr. C.”

Lesson Learned

The fact was, I always had used the more formal name to address Dr. C. That morning, I don’t know why I thought I could call him Bill, as my parents and their friends did. It was something I just threw out to see if it would stick. I don’t really remember if my dad was very mad. What I do remember is feeling really dumb for thinking I could call my neighber, an adult, by his first name. The thought of him talking to my dad really made me feel bad.

I tried to call my neighbor by his first name more than 40 years ago. My godfather and father are no longer living, and I’m…