When I was almost finished with my perilous times paper, and I was talking a break to eat, something came to my mind. I knew my boyfriend would say he was proud of me when I finished. Normally this thought would have just passed through my head, but it stuck. It stuck because my boyfriend is two years older than me. And when I think of someone saying I'm proud of you, I think of an elder saying it to a youngster. For example, a parent congratulating a kid on a good grade. Or a big brother or sister being proud of a younger sibling's accomplishments. But then I realized it was reasonable for two equals to say they are proud of each other. I say I am proud of my friends or younger people I know all the time. I do say I am proud of my mom sometimes, but it is usually sarcastic, like after she told me she did a load of darks. If I were to say I were proud of Mr. Bolos or Mr. O'Connor, I think they would find it insulting, if not at the very least odd. There are of course the exceptions, like if someone quit smoking or lost 100 pounds, but those are rare. If someone younger than me told me they were proud of me, I would say thank-you politely, but not take it seriously. I think that's because I do not value their opinion as much as an elder's.
According to dictionary.com, the word 'proud' carries no age dennotation:
...having, proceeding from, or showing a high opinion of one's own dignity, importance, or superiority.
This word goes back to the connotation vs. dennotation discussion we had earlier in the year. When I talked to my boyfriend after I finished my paper, and as I predicted he did say he was proud of me, we talked about my theory. He said he considered me an equal even though he is older. He believes that if a younger person says he is proud of you, it shows respect and that the younger person looks up to him. But would you take a younger persons congratulations seriously? Would you feel insulted?
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