Professor Nomenclature

From the combined forces of careful parenting and an unnecessarily formal hometown, I have never felt comfortable calling adults (let's assume that I don't count myself in that demographic, at least for the next seven months) by their first names. Ever. Even the closest of family friends were always "Aunt" Irene or "Uncle" John -- never just a given name. And above all, teachers, professors, and bosses were always addressed with some sort of appended title.

Recently, however, I've found that every single one of my architecture professors insists on being called by his or her first name. I find it terrifying in the extreme. While they're all perfectly approachable and amiable human beings, they're all professors and practicing architects, and -- though clearly this judgment is both unfair and untrue -- the last department I would expect to be so informal with students. All of my other professors (some tenured, some not -- some even not actually professors at all, but rather hopeful grad students) have insisted on the title.

One of the more notable side effects of being an only child is that I've spent most of my life interacting primarily with people anywhere from one to five decades my senior. Now, the only difference is that they all want me to address them as if I'm their equal -- and though flattering, it secretly pains me. My boss is Nick. My studio professor is Madeline. Even Mrs. Amanpour, apparently, is Christiane.

Though I can't say I miss it, childhood was so much simpler.