Just call me "mister"

Last night on NBC news, Brian Williams read some emails from listeners. One email said something like this: I found it really annoying that you kept calling Bill Clinton "Mr President" when you interviewed him. Clinton is no longer the President.

Williams commented that he had received many emails expressing a similar view and then added: "Mr President" is the correct way to address former Presidents because they are Presidents for life.

Actually this is also one of my pet peeves and I was glad to see that others find it annoying too. Sorry but no one is "President for life" in the USA. Maybe Mugabe can be "President for life" in Zimbabwe. It's fine to call someone Mr President while he's in office although I don't see what's wrong with just calling him Mr Bush (or whoever.)

I don't even like calling anyone "sir." I know it's polite in the South but the last time I checked, "sir" is some kind of aristocratic British title.

Even worse than calling ex-Presidents "Mr President" is calling retired (or defeated) Congressmen (or cabinet members or Governors) by their former titles such as "Senator" or (even more fawning) "Mr Secretary." How obsequious can you get?

To tell you the truth, I don't like calling politicians by any title whether they're in office or out. It's also silly to call people by their job description. By that logic, why don't I call my plumber "Mr Plumber?"

I also don't like calling retired military officers by their ranks such as "General" or "Captain." You're "Mr" to me once you're out of the military.

Anyway what's wrong with plain old "mister" especially since it's not used in everyday parlance anymore and everyone calls each other by their first names nowadays?

I was only ever called "Patrick" by friends and family and in elementary school. After that I was called "Conlon" in high school and "Mr Conlon" in college and the work-place until I came to the USA. Suddenly I was back to elementary school again being called "Patrick." Even worse I was expected to call my boss by his or her first name.

It seems that we have lost a sense of proportion in the amount of respect we owe each other. I don't know which is worse: the kowtowing and fawning usage of fancy titles like "Mr President" or the overly familiar use of first names in the work-place.

I especially don't like being called by my first name by doctors. Who do they think they are? We're expected to call them "Dr" but it's fine for them to infantilize us by using our first names. Nope.

And while I'm on the subject of doctors let me add that I do not like to be called a "patient." Sorry, but I am a "customer, client or patron." Take your pick but I am never a "patient." I don't have the patience or the humility to be called a patient.

Just call me "mister."