The Laughing Wolf

Never Fear Being Called Boy

One thing about being out in the rural areas is that it reminded me of a lesson I want to share. Never fear being called Boy.

Yes, there are some who will use it with that intonation that is insulting and more. Ignore them. They are cowards and rarely will do anything unless there is a pack of five or more around; any lower odds, and they are too scared to do anything. Frell them.

Boy is not a Southernism or even a racism. What it is, is a ruralism. Anyone under 80 or so is Boy, particularly those under about 40. It is a way of emphasizing age and experience, particularly by those who have know you “since you were a pup.” It can also be used as term of endearment, or respect, because you went and did something far beyond your years. This is not limited to the South, but seems to be a fixture of rural life around the country. Indeed, I think I have seen a similar thing in other countries and cultures.

Richard Hooker, the author of MASH and Mash Goes To Maine (forget the other, awful, books in that series) was the first person I ever saw who wrote down something else I had observed. In the latter book, he had a character explain that Boy did not matter, it was Young Feller/yung feller/etc. The latter is reserved either for people over 90, or more often those who for whatever reason had one foot over or in the grave. I always heard it that way, and have memories of most people that earned this form of address not living terribly long afterwards.

From this, I learned to never fear being called Boy. In fact, I preferred it. May it be many, many decades – or preferably never – before I ever hear Young Feller directed at me.

LW