Having a landline phone and a Hotmail account.
Asking for paper bills instead of online notices.
Thinking 67 is a number and not a grade school catchphrase.
Receiving home delivery of the Toronto Star on weekends.
Avoiding a digital wallet and the world of memes.
Admittedly, I cling to many habits and thought processes that mark me as a baby boomer.
However, here's one that I will keep regardless of social trends.... the practice of addressing people like doctors and clergy by their formal title. A recent article in the Toronto Star highlighted the experience of one student in an alternative school in Ontario who was encouraged to call her teachers by their first names in an effort to break down barriers and see teachers as human beings. This familiarity supposedly deepened mutual respect and allowed teacher authority to become grounded in connection.
Interestingly, Quebec is now going the other way with new legislation that will mandate the use of titles and formal address.
Having teachers as mentors and friends is a good idea, especially in classrooms strained by social media, polarization, and disconnection. However, like a good parent whose children call them mom or dad and not Bill and Maggie, I think using titles like mister or miss is a good introduction into how the world really operates.
Yes, our world needs collaboration and friendship. But that need not come at the cost of giving up the natural respect that all people in public deserve.
