Today’s Wisdom: Everybody wants to say who they are and where they’re from. And the easiest and cheapest and most universal way of doing that is through their accent. David Crystal
By Bill D. Ward
We were recently spending time in Florida with our daughter. We took a road trip to check out a street fair and enjoyed walking among all the booths. My wife and I were chatting and, as we passed one booth, we notice a woman emerge to catch up with us.
As she reached us, she boldly asked, “Are you from Minnesota?” Thinking perhaps she recognized me from somewhere I asked how she knew. It turns out, she had recognized our Minnesota accent as we passed her booth. I think all the nice lady really wanted was to speak her native tongue to someone, because she too was from Minnesota.
Now there was a time I would have judged that encounter to be impossible because Minnesotans don’t have accents. We speak normal American English, the language of all good television network newscasters. Accents come from the South, from Boston or New York, or maybe Texas. When I do think of a Minnesota accent, it is the stereotypical Fargo movie/Scandinavian drawl. That one is probably mostly fictional, since I have never actually heard anyone speak it.
In a brief moment, this encounter changed my views. My nothing accent was readily identifiable within seconds by a bystander. Now I am curious how many other vibes we are all throwing off that mark our territory, heritage or identity.
One of the things I have learned is that we are healthiest when we embrace our uniqueness. While I am proud of my newly found Minnesota vocal identity, I also enjoy the kaleidoscope of so many others.
I used to think people with accents were from exotic places. To me they are. Now I wonder if folks from those places see us Minnesotans as exotic. That would be cool. I’m just sayin’.
Kommentare