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>>Dear Miss Mike (sorry, but I <i>just</i> couldn't >>resist. Boy, I would have gotten the strap so hard if >>I tried that 60 years ago), >> >>It wasn't just a Mississippi thing. Whenever I was >>introduced to an adult it was always "Radovan, meet >>Mr. Jones" or Miss Jones, or Mrs. Jones as the case >>demanded (the silly Ms. wasn't yet invented). From >>then on the man's name was Misterjones, one word, just >>as mine was Radovan, not Rad or Raddo or Van. I knew >>that the Mr. was a sign of respect, but never thought >>on that. He was just Misterjones. If the full name >>was not appropriate, then it was "Sir" as mine was >>"Son". That was just the way it was, no thought of it >>being otherwise. >> >>Like James (see below) if I left out the Ma'am when >>answering a teacher I got the same lethal stare and a >>"Yes, <i>what</i>?" demand. If I didn't say "Please" >>when asking my mom a favor I was ignored. If I asked >>permission from my parents or my teachers for >>something and said "Can I..." the answer was always >>"Yes, you certainly can, but you <i>may</i> not." And >>it was still "no" even if I corrected myself and said >>"may". Only got a "yes" if I asked "may" and it was >>OK with the adult asked. >> >>Different world, wasn't it? > >Hi Radovan, > >I like your sense of humor! Lol > >Yes, as you say. enormous importance was put on >addressing adults in the appropiate and correct way. >And persistent failure to appreciate and do this would >have been interpreted as defiance, disobedience and >insolence! With a thorough, painful spanking being the >result. Deference to and respect for your elders and >betters was paramount! > >That 'lethal stare'; boy do I remember 'that lethal >stare'! The one that told you you were perilously >close to a paddlin' or spankin'!! You soon wised up! >Teachers back in the Fifties, Sixties and Generation >X'ers often tell me the Seventies and even the to a >lesser extent the Eighties, excelled in the art of >pedantry and sarcasm! Some being much worse than >others, to be fair! With parents, also, good manners >and politeness were demanded. As you say it was >important to 'ask in the right way'! > >You rightly state that it was not just in Mississippi >that these rules and standards prevailed. I think in >America and also elsewhere, they were universal. >Though I have always suspected they were particularly >prevalent in the South. > >As you say, Radovan, it was a very different world!

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