terms of endearment

i went up to belfast one last time today. the highway between dundalk and newry was closed (this stretch of the highway is where you find the border between the republic of ireland and the united kingdom). it is sometimes the target of bomb scares. this was one of those days. traffic was diverted to a beautiful little town along the coast called carlingford. it was a nice detour. unfortunately, street signage being what it is here, i eventually got lost. in newry, i signalled a traffic cop for help in order to make my way back to the highway. as he approached the car he said "how can i help you, love". before he sent me on my way, he said "will you be ok, love." those words were so kind and gentle, so familiar. i felt a little flattered, but i know it has nothing to do with my cuteness! i noticed on sabbatical that the english and the irish both have such a wonderful way to approach strangers; sometimes they call you 'love', sometimes they call you 'pet', sometimes they call you 'dear'. i think it's a really lovely habit.