Confessions of a "sweetie" addict

It started innocently enough, when my daughter first went to preschool and I would occasionally volunteer. There were over 20 children in her class -- how was I supposed to remember all their names? And so the dreaded "sweetie" began.

The problem exploded as she grew. Classmates, team mates, girl scouts -- so very many names. Then there were the siblings and the parents and the dogs! I was drowning, I couldn't remember a name to save my life. So "sweetie" it was, broken up with "hon" and even (cringe) a "baby" or two for the youngest ones.

It grew to encompass all the folks I come in contact with during the day: people who work at the bank or grocery store, library or restaurant. "Thank you sweetie" just slips out, no matter how many times I swear I will never use again.

And Barrack Obama's world is so much bigger than mine -- all those people, all those names! How does he do it? How does he remember them all??

But Obama is flawed. Like me, he substitutes a silly endearment for a name he does not know or can't remember. And like me, he has taken the first step by publicly acknowledging that he has a problem.

Perhaps there are programs for people like us, perhaps we can be helped. In the meantime, I will muddle along as best I can, taking solace in the fact that I am not alone, that no less than the our next President shares my pain.

Reject and renounce to habit? ... Join a 12 step recovery program?

Give a speech? :rofl:

I know who call everyone "hon" or "sweetie" because they get used to doing it with all their kids, neighbor kids, etc... I know I do it when kids address me in my daughter's preschool class (usually because I can't remember their individual names).

If this is the worst thing Obama ever does I think I can live with it. Compare to the Bush/Cheney starting wars, torturing people, etc...

Prior to my retirement, I can't imagine calling another teacher "sweetie" in front of students. No professional male or female should do that especially not in front of others. For children, fine, for spouses, also fine. From one professional to another, not fine.

and I found it highly unprofessional. But HRC wanted to be both "our queen" and "every woman." How sad ... and unprofessional. :(

and or a potential president calling someone "sweetie"?

and she shouted out a question, hoping to get a freebie little presser all her own. The future of the auto industry/auto workers is a complex, major policy issue for a Dem candidate - not something to be addressed spur of the moment in a ten second sound bite for one local TV "reporter" - we ALL know that local TV stations hire women "reporters" for their youth and beauty - not their journalistic creds - talking heads to the nth!

I listened to/watched the tape. Little Miss "Reporter" was so pissed at the next President of the United States for not stopping dead in his tracks, disrupting his whole schedule, and giving her station (WPOS - for all your local news!) a BIG STORY ! ! ! , which would get her NOTICED BY A NETWORK ! ! ! so she could move UP FROM HER JERKWATER LOCAL STATION ! ! ! - that she actually referred to herself, on air,in a we-are-not-amused-tone as "this sweetie".

That was really UNPROFESSIONAL on her part - a reporter never makes himself or herself part of the story.

Before MY retirement, I was occasionally called Dear, or Young Lady (when I was old enough to be their mother!) by male elected officials. They meant no harm and otherwise treated me and my professional advice with respect.

first these moral superiors have a problem with bitter
now they've got issues with sweetie
What the fuck is wrong with these busybodies?
It's like being pecked at the ankles by a gaggle of silly geese.

:eyes: was to think of this man, first surrounded by 3 females in his immediate family, then all these other people, all day every day. I imagine it's habit with him, and I can't condemn him for this endearment.

It's called molehill politics. Pick, pick, pick!

Maybe it's just a sign of where I grew up (central Illinois), but in my social circle and family, it's common to call people "sweetie" and "hon". Sometimes it is to cover up a mental fart where you temporarily can't remember someone's name. Other times, it's because the situation feels too informal to use "ma'am", "miss", "sir" or "mister". I avoid using it at work because it feels unprofessional.

It looks like someone in the campaign pointed out to Obama that it may have been inappropriate for the setting. Then, privately and unbidden by any crush of moral outrage, Obama privately called the reporter in question and apolgized. He didn't have to do that. Personally, I think it showed a certain amount of manners and class.

I inadvertantly called him sweetie one time (he's same age as my adult son). OMG - will he sue me for sexual harassment in the work place!?!?!?!?

Well, we were graduating from high school, and he wrote in my yearbook, "To the sweetest girl in school" - but after Annapolis he became a Marine and ended up a General.