Interesting story about saying ma'am. I was taught all my life to say it, but my husband, who grew up in Kansas, hated it. When our children were born, he was an atheist and didn't want them brought up in the church. So knowing how he hated the term ma'am, I bartered with him. I said, "I won't teach the children to say ma'am if you'll agree I can take them to church."

He agreed and the deal was sealed. Later he became a Christian, as did all our kids, but nobody in our family says ma'am.