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STORIES FROM THE EDGE

Crossing a Crumbling Bridge: The Middle Class in Freefall

Crossing a Crumbling Bridge: The Middle Class in Freefall

Hanging By a Thread: What Happened to Normal? As the cost of everything rises and the promise of stability disappears, most of us are just trying not to fall. The rope bridge we’re all on is fraying — and some people are still trying to do handstands in the middle of it.

Stop Calling Me Ma’am: The Global Spread of a Backhanded Compliment

Stop Calling Me Ma’am: The Global Spread of a Backhanded Compliment

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?

His name was Scott

His name was Scott

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.