Lovebird, I hear you. I was raised in a pretty hippie household, the only kid I knew whose parents insisted my friends call them by their first names. At the time I, and the other kids, thought that was 'cool', but now, in my 40s, I take such umbrage at people addressing me by my first name - like at the doctor's office, as you say. For some reason, I particularly hate it when the kids making my coffee at the coffee shop ask for my name so they can write it on the cup and then call it out when the coffee's ready. I feel caught in a bind, but would feel foolish glaring at them and saying, "Mrs. X". Hm, maybe next time I'll work up the nerve to try that. How I long for the old civilities...