lørdag den 18. maj 2013

Terms of endearment - overload.

One of the many things that I've now grown accoustum to is the frequent usage of these so-called terms of endearment. Now it hasn't been easy, let me tell you, and to be quite honest I'm not sure that I'm as okay with it as I come across.
People, very random people, call you things like, "sweetheart", "love", "darling", "dear" and the list goes on. Maybe it's a cultural thing, or I can most definitely say that it's a cultural thing, but can you really address a stranger like that? Well, the answer should be quite obvious, otherwise this post would be redundant...

It's one thing that the staff and the patients on the ward speak to you like that, because after these past five weeks, I feel like I've gotten to know them, probably not well enough to actually want to be called these names, but what can you do? They all mean well, and it makes it easier to digest, it'll probably give me an ulcer later on. But when the person behind the cash register in Sainsbury's calls you one of those things... I mean, there's only so much a person can take! I just want to take my cucumber and hit him on the head with it! It's really uncalled for! I think the reason that I keep objecting to all these terms of endearment (which are harmless, most of the time anyway!) is that I've been behind the cash register and never in my life have I called a customer anything remotely similar - that's crossing a line!
Also it would make sense when an elderly or a person older than yourself calls you something like that, but when a younger person adds terms of endearment into a conversation with an elderly person or someone older, then it comes of as disrespect to me. I mean, I can hardly imagine me saying "love" to a random elderly person, it just seems so wrong on so many levels. Again I'm inclined to blame this on my semi-Danish upbringing.

Alas there's nothing I can do, it's not like I can make a scene each time or maybe I could? If I did, then I'd probably need someone to bail me out eventually! And it's not like my name is easy to pronounce over here, and in retro spect, maybe "love", "dear" and "darling" are way better than "Zeeeniiia" and "Zena", at least my name doesn't get butchered, when people opt for the terms of endearment.

So instead of saying the famous line from Moby Dick, "Call me Ishmael", I will just have to settle with, "Call me love"...but when you do, I'd be on the look out for that cucumber!

-xoxo-

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