B. U. G. S.

Let me hasten to make a distinction. In the piece below, I pointed out that I josh a lot with people I like. I give you a hard time and expect you to take it in stride.

But let me IMMEDIATELY separate this from the pathetic attempts by people my ago to regain their youth by being “good buddies” with young folks. You know, the “Old Hippy, I’m still one of the young folks” bit.

I almost fell into that trap a few years back. A young genius volunteered to take over WOL’s technial side for me. He was already a young millionaire with a young family, so I felt a bit humbled. But he was also a young Southern gentleman. He would always kid with me, but he always called me “Mr. Whitaker” and “sir.”

I said he could call me “Bob” and he replied that he would not be comfortable doing that. I almost insisted, and then sanity returned.

You see, the older person who insists on being buddies is obsessed with who HE is. HE wants to be a young buddy of the young folks. He totally fogets, or never knew, that a young Southern gentleman does not call him “sir” because of who the older person is. A young gentleman calls me “Mr. Whitaker” because HE is a Southern gentleman, not because I am some kind of demigod.

It reminds me of the joke in the 1970s when a man opened the door for a Women’s Libber. She turned around and shouted, “Are you opening that door for me because I’m a WOMAN!!??”

The man replied, calmly, “No, I’m doing it because ****I**** am a gentleman.”

I bit my tongue hard when I realize I was about to insist that a young gentleman treat me like a buddy.

Down here inthe benighted South, we have something called G.U.B. It means Good Upbringing, and it is a rare and precious thing. And I had come within an inch of criticizing it.

In our exchanges, I call myself Bob all the time. You are welcome to call me that.

Whether you choose to use “Mr. Whitaker” and “sir” in any given instance is entirely a matter of what YOU feel is appropriate.

As for me, I am well aware that my youth and my virginity are gone. I don’t want either of them back.