How do you address others?
As adults we tend to be on first name basis with many of the people we interact with, but were you as a child or youth? Did you grow up addressing the adults in your life by titles? Mr. Storey? Uncle Tom? Sister Bailey?
I'm not sure why exactly, but somewhere around age 10 or so I started addressing the adults in my life by their first name. Perhaps because my mom did? Likely because I'm uber-casual about pretty much everything? ...well, Mr. Storey was still Mr. Storey--I continued addressing my public school teachers as Mr., Mrs., and Ms. But those adults that our family interacted with somewhat regularly I started addressing by their first name. My cousins addressed my mother as Aunt even when they were in college, while I had been addressing their parents by first names since before we migrated south. At church, rather than addressing family friends as Brother Winn or Sister Steele I was addressing them by their first names as well.
This has been a point of recent reflection for me. As an adult I have mixed reactions to being addressed as Sister or Mrs. or just by my first name. Especially with the various levels of Southern Hospitality in our area. My jury is still out on my own personal preference.
When we first started in Cub Scouts I was impacted by how a friend (an Assistant Cubmaster) prompted the boys to address the adults as Mr., Mrs., Ms. These few short years later--after leaving that Pack, Lone Cubscouting, and then joining a Pack closer to home--I find myself following her example. (She sets a remarkable example within many aspects of life and living, but that's another tangent). I usually address our adults by Mr., Mrs., etc. Sometimes I slip, especially with those that I communicate with beyond scouting, but overall I make an effort to more formally address our adults.
Even when they encourage first names.
If it's a conversation occurring in the vicinity of the cubs, I'm making an effort to address them properly. Because I'm recognizing the power of that example.
They do as we do. And they say as we say.
When I'm speaking to the boys about someone, or introducing them to someone, it's always "Ms Carol" or "Mr Nick". When I am speaking to someone in front of the boys, I will usually start out with a Ms/Mr, then revert to their first names. And it's enough of a habit now, that when they ask about someone, it's always with a Ms/Mr in front of their name. Progress.... :)
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