they called me ma’am

Here’s an interesting test of my cultural assumptions. My dog breaks his leash loose from my hand to chase the taunting squirrels he so desperately detests. We are right near a pickup football game taking place on the blacktop. The dog is a scream of poofy fluff – and these big dudes guffaw in surprise “woa, look at him go!” They laugh. One of them calls to me, “Ma’am? Ma’am? Can he actually catch one?”

And I reel, internally at least. Ma’am? He called me ma’am?

I am so OLD.