From Miss to Ma'am: When Did that Happen?

One day as I was crossing Michigan Avenue, I heard a woman's voice from behind me shouting "Ma'am! Ma'am! You dropped your scarf!" It wasn't until I heard "scarf" that I realized she was talking to ME, and that indeed the scarf I'd worn that day was no longer around my neck. But I was mortified that she referred to me as "ma'am" instead of "miss"! When did I turn into a "ma'am"?

I think the first thing I noticed was that "Miss" generally doesn't wear neck scarves - except the bulky type to keep warm in winter. Misses don't wear the type of flat, rubber-soled, practical shoes like I was wearing. Generally, they are obviously younger (under 30) women - in stiletto heels, short, tight clothes, with trendy handbags. Though I'm one year away from my AARP membership, I'm lucky enough to look 5-10 years younger than the age indicated by the birth date on my driver's license. But like most women my age, I dress for comfort rather than style and fashion - a sure sign of "ma'am-dom"!