I think exercise is a fake moral issue in the US. More of it wouldn't fix anything psychologically.

Isnt't that the author's point, that we have this myth in the US that exercise helps with self-esteem?

Does anyone think it's weird if little kids call grown-ups by their first names?

yes, I do. I was raised to never call anyone by their first name until invited to do so. Of course, I was raised in a military environment, so no one used first names, ever (my dad's BFF was Smitty). My bro is raising his daughter to call his friends Mr. or Ms. [firstname], which I like. It's respectful, but still connotes a closeness.

I actually avoid calling my friends' parents anything at all when I can, just because this particular issue can be so annoying.

yes, this. Especially now that we're all adults. It's awkward. My BFF's parents are Mom and Dad [last name]. My close friends have a nicknames of sorts for my parents. If I meet a friend's parents now, I say, nice to meet you Mr or Mrs [lastname].

Sometimes this causes problems because some people don't know I'm waiting for an invitation to call them by their first name, and instead think that I'm either distancing myself, or that I'm younger than I am.

In my quaker community, it Was Not Done to use honoriffics of any sort. However, as far as I was concerned, my public school teachers had no first names. Then I went to college down south. Miss, Miz, Mr, ma'am, sir, EVERYWHER. But a quaker college, so again with the no honorrifics, teachers used their first names. Except the creepy polisci prof. Up here, most kids call me Miz Sara, but then so do some adult neighbors. It really depends on the circle. And even then, I have no damned clue. I call people what they are introduced by, if I'm lucky.

"Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich", the "Asian Sesame Chicken Salad", or the "Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad"?

Asiago Roast Beef!

I think I'll go pick up my new glasses. And maybe grab some lunch on the way back.

I call people what they are introduced by, if I'm lucky.

Yes, that helps sometimes. But, if I'm being introduced to someone who says "this is Bob Smith", then where do I go?

When I was a kid, I'd address my parents' friends as "Mr." or "Mrs." ("Miss" would have been an option if they'd had any unmarried female friends, which I don't remember them having.) Within the family, we'd refer to them by first and last name.

Example: "Mom, why are we stopping at Mary Smith's house? Hello, Mrs. Smith."

Aunts and Uncles got first names, preceded by "Aunt" or "Uncle." Usually the biological relation was named first. So, "Uncle Ed and Aunt Judy" for my mother's brother and his wife, but "Aunt Joyce and Uncle Dan" for my father's sister and her husband. Similar treatment for cousins who were old enough to be parents, otherwise first-name-only. So my godmother was "Cousin Joan," but her children were "Kelly and Bradley."

Grandparents were "Grand[mother/father] [Lastname]."

We didn't have honorific aunts or uncles, and I only knew one person who got that treatment. Aunt Judy's parents had some difficulty that I never was told the details, and a non-relative kind of took her in as a kid. When Aunt Judy had kids of her own, the non-relative became "Grandma Viva" to them.

Funny, I don't remember it being so complicated when I was 5.

But, if I'm being introduced to someone who says "this is Bob Smith", then where do I go?

Then I'm not lucky.

Then I'm not lucky.

heh. I go with nice to meet you. Sometimes I forget their name and ask for it, which helps.

Our lunch options have been canceled, sadly. The hotel where we're having the thing said we're not allowed to bring in outside food, so we have to get hotel sandwiches. *sigh*

But, bon, I don't see the point of that statement if France and the US are similarly uncheered by an increase in physical exertion.

I think of exercise and the nation's self-esteem being related as a myth that everyone knows is a myth, if they even grant it any status at all.