Just Don't Call Me Ma'am...

So I thought I'd explain why I put "Just don't call me Ma'am" in my profile.

It has nothing to do with Nancy Pelosi. No, really, it doesn't. I wrote that in my blog years before she blasted a military officer for calling her Ma'am and I think she was off base. The military officer was just trying to be respectful (although if he called the male senators "senator" and not "sir", then she was justified).

In any event, I wrote "Just Don't Call Me Ma'am" because it signified my slide into old age.

No, really.

I'll elaborate.

In my early thirties I was still getting carded. People were asking for my i.d. when I tried to buy beer, or go to a club. And at that point I was flattered. Seriously flattered. Because the idea that anyone thought I was under 21 was pretty damn awesome.

At that time, my younger brother came to town and we decided to go meet my other brothers and my sister at a hot, happening club in Downtown Palo Alto. Everyone--and I mean all the hip, happening, fun people--went there and there were people standing in lines that were blocks long.

In order to get in, you had to show your id. You had to be over the age of 21 to get into the club.

My younger brother and I waited for what seemed like ages in this long line. When we finally got to the front of the line, this cute bouncer dude looked us over and asked for id.

I was seriously flattered. The guy carding people at the door was good looking, in his early twenties, and clearly thought I was also in my twenties.

I puffed out my chest, looked over at my younger brother with a big grin on my face (oh, the bouncer hadn't asked for his id) and pulled out my id.

And the bouncer took my driver's license...looked it over for a full two minutes and then looked me straight in the eye and said....

"Oh, I'm so sorry Ma'am....."