Boondock Rebelle

Somewhere between Texas and a call center 10,000 miles away, “ma’am” went from cowboy courtesy to a polite way of telling a woman she’s old, irrelevant, or both. How did this linguistic fossil get smuggled into the global script of customer service — and why do we just nod and accept it?

One very cold Toronto winter, I noticed a tent sagging into the snow. Inside was Scott — 50 years old, kind-eyed, and holding on with quiet pride. He offered me the only thing he had to give: his help. Months later, he was gone.