I drove down to my local Walmart this morning to get the oil changed on my Honda van. Drove around to the Lube Express and walked in to the service counter. The 50'ish lady at the service counter greeted me with a smile and a "good morning, honey". As she entered my order into the auto service computer she called me "honey" a couple more times. Then she gave me my receipt and said if I have any shopping to do she would page me when the car was ready, again addressing me as "honey".
I then walked into the main store and drifted around, picking up a few things I had put on my shopping list and after a short time I was paged, paid for the items in my basket, then returned to the lube service counter. The same lady ran my transaction through and handed me my keys, then said "have a great day, honey".
As I drove home I thought about why it feels so good to be called "honey". I like it! Oh, I know in these days of political and social "correctness" service people are not supposed to call folks "honey". But I truly can't understand why anyone would be offended by it. I guess it all started with the women's movement. I guess feminists decidedly a few decades ago that the term "honey" somehow trivializes them. Then, as the term became verboten for women, I guess it became forbidden to utter that term with men as well.
I think that's sad. I've travelled often throughout the South and found calling folks "honey" is still prevalent down there. I can't count the times waitresses and store clerks called me "honey" down that way. And every time it brings a smile to my face.
Maybe, in this current environment, when folks can be so savagely hard with others, we ought to resurrect calling each other "honey" whenever given the chance. How can one be angry with someone who calls you "honey?"
I don't know if that little term of endearment does anything to anyone else but the lady that dared to call me "honey" this morning has left me with a smile on my face all morning...and with a disposition as sweet as "honey".
I must admit..I zm 49 and I hate being called honey by some twenty something clerk.
ReplyDeleteTo each his own, anon. I guess that's why we rarely hear it anymore...but I miss it and enjoy hearing it when I do.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and taking the time to comment.
I don't recall ever being called honey by a clerk/service person, except for maybe once or twice at the Denny's I'd go to for breakfast. It was by a gay server. He was always very accomodating to me and also would sometimes call me 'sweetie'.
ReplyDeleteYou know it's been so long since I've been married that I don't remember what my ex called me. I know I called the kids 'sweetheart', probably honey too but I don't remember. Now I call my granddaughter 'punkin', sweetie and sweetie pie and her mother (my daughter) calls her honey. To my punkin, she announces "I not punkin! I Mia!"
I don't think it has anything to do with women's lib or anything why we don't hear terms of endearment anymore. At least for me, I prefer the terms coming from a person I know and am fond of, and not from a complete stranger.
"Dear" seems to be commonly used term here in Fargo. I've been called it a couple of times. It was usually said by a female not too many years younger than me at the grocery/deli I frequent.
PammieJean; it's been so long since I have heard from you. Glad to hear you're still around. Maybe it's just a "guy thing" liking to be called "honey". It appeals to me. I'm from a country family so maybe that's it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting.
Yeah, I'm still here, just get really busy with the granddaughter. At two and a half, she's a spitfire! Now that it's gotten a bit colder, I don't like to go outside so to keep me active, she and I have this thing about going around the big couch. She runs, and I do that funny looking race walk. She thinks that's hilarious.
ReplyDeleteYou know, it might be a guy thing, this 'honey' calling. Maybe it depends on where it is said too. It also may be because we are older and there is no one around to say it to us, so having a stranger say it sounds kind of nice.
Do me a favor and don't call me honey! Thank you. I do like hearing those terms of endearment though, don't hear them too often anymore and I don't think I would like to hear them from a gay man but it is refreshing to hear them. It always takes me back to a better time and place. A home that wasn't so crowded and rushed. The country life. Our Kali country town has grown so huge I just feel in the way here now, never hear even a "thank you". I take a lot of trips up to our Sierras, where they still call me "Hon", very nice. I gotta tell ya, thanks for the email. I came right here and signed up. Everything I've read until I came here was very, very depressing news. This was nice, smiling again, but I'm still not going to call you Honey. Ken
ReplyDeleteLOL! That's funny "honey"! Welcome, Ken...hopefully these blogs will take your mind other depressing news!
ReplyDeletePammie Jean, you're probably right. We guys like it....I don't read anything more into it than an expression of friendliness but welcome it whenever offered!
ReplyDelete