uncertain origin ... perhaps obsolete

Two are three times over the past few days, I've been addressed as "sir." Once was when one of three high school-aged boys on a street corner almost bumped into me as I tried to walk around them: "Sorry, sir. My fault." I assured him it wasn't a big deal that we almost bumped. But the term stung. It happened again as one of the Trainers at the gym was trolling around looking for clients: "How's it going, sir." I told him I was good. Truth was, since I was finishing my last set of exercises, I was already wondering if this was going to be a two or three ibuprofen night. I made it clear he wasn't going to pry dollars from me just to yell: "one more push -- you can do it."

I don't know whether I am showing my age somehow as of late. Gray beard stubble? A deepening groove from my eye to my chin? Walking unsteadily (beer one time, over-exertion during the second)? I wondered if I was coming across as a "codger" and tried to look up that term. Several online dictionaries were unsure and it wasn't until I went to Wikipedia that I found this:

"an amusingly eccentric or grumpy and usually elderly man"

Given my more senior colleagues, basically that describes most non-females over age 50 -- a benchmark I have not yet reached. But "to codge"? There is not good explanation. Apparently, "to cadge" is to carry the little platform that falcons rest on. Can't say I even imagined doing that nor believing that such an activity required its own label. But still, such a duty is not specific to the grumpy or the eccentric.

Regardless, we can envision what an old codger looks like even though we may not know the etymology. What I do belive/understand is that codgers drink martinis and I am out of gin. Time to slip on my non-lace sneakers, hitch up my droopy pants, and shuffle down the block to get a cheap bottle from that whipper-snapper on the corrner. He calls me sir and I'll throw someting. Unless I can't catch my breath from the walk.