28 September 2014
Sunday morning
It has been
painfully obvious to me ever since I got here, that absolutely
everybody treats my academic background as if it were non-existent.
The only place I am referred to as “Doctor” is this magazine
label, and my mother bought the subscription for me. Many of the
staff call me “Sir”, which I have always considered a throw back
to the British roots of our English language and the built-in class
distinctions which have permeated English society for so long as to
be nearly invisible. Sir always sounds so pretentious and setting
apart of the speaker from the respondent. There is the implication of
mockery when used in American culture, when the right one of voice is
used counterfeit and derision seems to hang about like a bad odor.
I'm always leery when I hear someone reference me with the
appellation Sir, as if I am being set up for something. On the other
hand, the appellate “Doctor” acknowledges the fact that many
years of concerted effort have been spent In the successful achieving
of an academic pursuit. The use of Doctor carries a sense of
congratulations and welcoming recognition. Guess which term is way
overused around here?
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