Titles

It rubs me the wrong way when I am addressed as "אימא יקרה" (dear mother),  by people who are not my children. It bugs me when I am addressed as "dear mother" on a mass SMS sent out in general to mothers, and it bugs me even more when I am addressed as "dear mother" by people whose names I know and who know my children's names. Stop being sappy. I have a name: use it!

In a similar vein, it was recently pointed out in a humorous message sent out on social media (a "meme," as these things are known) that the two most frightening words in the Hebrew language are no longer "צבע אדום" ("Code Red," which means to seek immediate shelter from an incoming rocket attack) but "...הורים יקרים" ("Dear Parents..." which nowadays ends all too often with "...and now you must stand in line for hours and hours before returning home to quarantine").

But recently Husbinator was greeted in a grocery store by one of BSM's smiling classmates with, "Shalom, Abba shel BSM!" ("Hi, BSM's Dad!"). And I realized that BSM's friends have absolutely been calling me "Ema shel BSM" forever, and I introduce myself as "Ema shel [son in question]" to my son's friends without qualm. 

After all, this is perfectly reasonable solution to the facts that I do not approve of my kiddies friends calling me by my first name, and that titles are ridiculously formal in this country. 

Are titles virtually non-existant here because titles are anti-communist? Is it because last names are an artificial construct of the anti-semitic-archy? Whatever the reason, being addressed as "Mrs. Last Name" is unheard of. Formal letters mailed to me by formal agencies address me as "First Name Last Name," or, if things are really formal, as "Last Name First Name."

Addressing people as "Sir/Ma'am" is also simply Not Done, and I think it actually verges on rude to address an individual thus. Starting automated mass-announcements over PA systems with "גבירותי ורבותי" ("Ladies and Gentlemen") is fine, but that's about it. In a pinch, unknown individuals may be addressed with some sort of descriptive: Girl/Boy, Lass/Lad, Driver, Rabbi, My Brother, Man, Aunt, or even Dad/Mom (without the "dear!") are all totally fine. But Sir/Ma'am? Not Very.

Anyway, the point of all this is that the whole "Parent of Child" form of address may perhaps shed light on the Arabic form of address "Abu Eldest Son" ("Father of Eldest Son"), which is used in lieu of "Title Last Name." 

That's it. Just a long rambling. Very interesting in my head, I assure you. Sigh. This is why I have 46 drafts saved and nothing new posted.

Trust

You know what? I realized it's been over a month since my last post, so my goals for today include cleaning up and posting some back-logged drafts. 

I found my laptop in my work bag this one morning not too long ago, and I nearly took it out. I prefer not to schlep. But I had a vague recollection of putting the laptop in my bag for a reason, and not just to get it out of the way. I debated, but I decided to trust myself, and left my laptop in my bag.

All the way to work, I tried to figure out why I could possibly need the laptop. I had nothing saved to the laptop that wasn't on my desktop at work; I didn't have any outings to client offices planned. But what was done was done, and the laptop was with me. 

As soon as I sat down at my desk to sign in, it hit me: I need IT to fix audio issues in video conferencing software that a handful of my clients like more than I do (Zoom just works, why can't Microsoft Teams just work???), and I think there's a chance IT will take over my desktop while they do that! Well done me, trusting myself even when I don't know why.