Whose Mother?

I had an interesting experience in the grocery store today. The check-out clerk, a woman I had never seen before, called me mother - twice!

I'm not sure what to say beyond that. I wasn't really offended and I certainly didn't like it. To start with, of course, I am not her mother. I was so startled by it that I had no words in response. If a man had called me "honey" or "darling", I would have responded. I learned to deflect those titles a long time ago.

If she had called me "honey" or "darling", I might have known what to say or even how to look at her. But "mother"??? I was stunned and then when it happened a second time, I really wondered. I know I am old, grey hair, a bit of limp because the sciatica hasn't completely cleared yet, but there really are only two people (maybe 4 if you count their spouses) who can call me that legitimately. If children want to call me something other than Susan, I go with my grandmother name, Mama Susan. That is fine with me. But somehow this threw me. And with all the problems in the world, this is a silly little one that is just an irritation and obviously enough of one that I needed to write about it in order to clear my space. Thanks for listening.