First Time I was Called This...

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Shopping in WalMart earlier this week, I was coming out of an aisle and almost collided with another customer. He said, "Watch it, mother." Not angry or anything, just matter-of-factly. Now I don't know if he was being friendly or what. He was probably in his mid-40s to early 50s, so to call me 'mother' would make me think he though I was much older. Or perhaps I didn't hear all of his statement???
 

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If he were as old as 52, you could technically be his mother. Not everyone was an old mama like me -- I was thirty.

I used to hate it when called that.
 
Not much to go on other than you guessed his age so it's reasonable to suggest he mentally guessed yours. Only you know what the vocal tone was & body language. What did you observe?
 

Well my daughter is in her Mid-40's..and you're older than me Deb ..so yes you could be his mother, and maybe his own mum is around your age, and he may be in the habit of addressing people of our generations as Mother :D
 
debodun said:
Shopping in WalMart earlier this week, I was coming out of an aisle and almost collided with another customer. He said, "Watch it, mother." Not angry or anything, just matter-of-factly. Now I don't know if he was being friendly or what. He was probably in his mid-40s yo early 50s, so to call me 'mother' would make me think he though I was much older. Or perhaps I didn't hear all of his statement???
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When my wife was called grandma by some patronising young man she retorted: "You need children to be a grandma! I have none, but I do have standards. I couldn't possibly sleep with a granddad." Her remark was accompanied with a withering stare of pure napalm. He should have known better than to annoy my wife. She's had thirty years of practice as a paramedic, responding to such calls. She even put a big burly Rugby player in his place when he had the temerity to address her as, 'darling.'
 
While watching the BLM bicycle protest last year I made sure to feel as one with the bikers as I possibly could, doing the power salute, shouting their slogans along with them and as they proceeded towards the end one yelled at me "I love you GRANDMA!" Was never called that before, but loved it. My presence made the bikers very happy.
 
helenbacque said:
Did he appear hispanic? In Mexico to be called "Mother" by a non-relative is a sign of respect.
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I've heard Mama, Mamacita, and Papa used very gently by LatinX people, including Mexicans, but never "Mother."

I'd probably bristle at a stranger calling me Mother. Not even my own children addressed me that way.
 
debodun said:
Shopping in WalMart earlier this week, I was coming out of an aisle and almost collided with another customer. He said, "Watch it, mother." Not angry or anything, just matter-of-factly. Now I don't know if he was being friendly or what. He was probably in his mid-40s to early 50s, so to call me 'mother' would make me think he though I was much older. Or perhaps I didn't hear all of his statement???
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I think that in this situation, it should have been considered a term of endearment. You are right in listening to the tone in which the phrase was stated and noticing the situation in which you and he were in. It may have been more respectful that you realized.
 
debodun, I have no idea of your age, but since you are in a "Senior" forum, I take it, you've passed your 16th birthday. Some areas refer to any older adult woman, as "Mother". It's a term of respect, and endearment. I'm told it's similar to "Mum" in the UK. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
 

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