Whats appropriate when addressing adults?
When I was a kid, we always addressed our friends parents and other adults in the neighborhood by Mr. or Mrs. and then the last name. We never even knew what their first names were! Nowadays, there seems to be a transition to referring to adults by their first name, but with a Mr. or Ms. in front of it. The neighborhood kids and my friend’s kids all call me Ms. Lisa. My son’s class at school does refer to me as Mrs. LaGrou. But outside of the schools, this now old-fashioned greeting seems to have subsided. I wonder why. I’m not sure what I prefer. I don’t feel too old when the kids call me Mrs. LaGrou. I actually kind of like it. It reminds me of my roles as a wife and mother, both of which I love so much. On the other hand, I don’t mind it when little ones call me Ms. Lisa. It doesn’t seem inappropriate or disrespectful. What do you think?
