Perhaps I'm a bit of a pushover... I don't know. But, it seems like every since I have arrived here, I have been trying my hardest to try and speak like people I am around.
It happens with everyone...
To the Canadians I say "Ehh?" and "Sorry" (vs. Saarrrry in Texan)
To the Brits I say things like "torch" (vs. flashlight) and try really hard to speed up my speaking so I don't sound "too slow".
To the Germans I try to change my voice inflection a little... but, who am I kidding, I probably sound like an elephant to them!
I have managed to convince a good number of people that I am from anywhere except America.
But, through my strivings to be someone else, I find myself longing to just scream things in Texan!
The other day, I slipped up and said the unthinkable...
Y'all.
My friends just kinda looked at me and laughed.
But, I miss my Southeast Texan drawl.
I miss mumbling "Dad gum it!" when my diced tomatoes fall on the floor, or when I don't push down the clutch far enough before I try and shift.
But, I've noticed something...
I seem to be the only one conforming.
I have yet to notice anyone willfully trying to slur every word out to its maximum length in order to sound like they are from Mississippi (sarrryy).
Everyone else just talks like they normally do, and hope that people figure it out.
It is funny, however, how messed up our language really is.
You don't really notice it until you have to try and explain it to someone that is learning...
Meet Jackson.
Jackson makes sure that no one climbs over our wall at night and tries to steal everything I own. More importantly, Jackson is a good friend.
He's trying to improve his English a little, so I got Mom to send him a nice, compact English dictionary. He absolutely loved it! The next night when he came back, he was carrying it along with his Bible as nighttime reading material, and he had made a nice little book cover in order to protect it.
I was visiting with Jackson tonight, and we pretty much just talked about words in the dictionary... not much unlike a standard Thursday night in a college town.
He asked me several words that I figured were pretty standard for me, but I just didn't really know how to explain them. Here I am... a fresh college graduate... unable to explain basic English principles to someone else!
All I gotta say is that I am darn sure glad that I was born speakin' Texan... cuz there ain't no way I'd be able to explain it to no one else.
So... next time you get frustrated with someone that looks at you funny in the checkout line because whatever is coming out of your mouth isn't quite registering upstairs... be patient. Most of the time, we aren't even saying it right to begin with.
3 comments:
I like Jackson.
And I feel you on the whole having set up a wordpress but kept it a secret until you were ready to make the move... mine's been floating around the Web for a month or two...
Best of luck as you make your decision. If you want to talk about it just email me.
Hey, Ryan!
I can sympathize with your desire to conform. This summer in Zimbabwe, I went back and forth from Zimbabwean, British English, South African, Australian, my American and the deep south American of my clients so often that by the end of the summer I gave up.
I never realized until I read your blog that I was the only one trying to conform. I think it did make it a little easier for them to understand me, but it was so much harder for me. It was draining!
I'm glad you have Jackson. That's a sweet story! Have you figured out how to explain "fixin' to" yet? :-)
Simone
hey please don't loose your texas accent. Yes, I do want you to have some cool accent when you come home from all this, but I would miss "dad gummit" i like that you are from small town texas...I always wanted to have a texas accent so you having one is kinda the same thing! i miss you!
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