Accents

Hello all.  I apologize for the period of silence.  It comes from a combination of limited computer time and writer's block.  I figure you're probably not dying to know what we had for breakfast so I was waiting on better material to come to me (and for some time when there isn't someone looking over my shoulder as I write  :) )

Well, today I was thinking on accents.  This came about as I was reflecting on the good laugh I gave my fellow PTA moms this morning.  The school has recently received new books so we were covering them in plastic to preserve them as best we could from the future use of many children.  It's wonderful mindless work that allows you to chat and for me, to get to know the ladies a little better.  Today there were 3 Americans, 1 British and 1 Zambian mom.  Everything is going along nicely until my phone rings.

Now, normally, I pride myself on my lack of a Southern accent (especially considering how strong mom's is--sorry mom, but you know it's true  :)  ).  But I AM prone to sound VERY southern when saying select words such as clawset (Brad makes fun of that one daily--I still can't hear the difference in the way he is saying it and the way I am--specialized spelling provided by Brad who has now arrived home and is once again looking over my shoulder) and evidently...fine.  So today, I am wrapping books and my phone rings and as my friend asks how I am, I evidently respond with a strong, I have to admit--drawn out--Fiiiiiiiine, at which point another friend states to the group "Wow, you can tell she's talking to someone from Alabaaaaaama!"  --and everyone breaks out in hysterics.   This alone would be amusing, but then throw in the fact that the mom from Zambia (I apologize--I'm still terrible with names) then states "And to think I thought she was British".  

Well, later I started to think about that and  amused myself to realize how quickly you do switch accents depending on who you are around.  Kaitlyn speaks very British most of the time. I think Brad and I speak normally to each other, but we switch rather quickly (and I must say, impressively  :)  ) to a British accent when we are quoting one of our friends or staff.  We also switch when speaking to someone with a British accent--it evidently makes us easier to understand.  I notice the same trend in my American friends.  Another interesting note is that my thoughts during the day are most often in the clipped british accent rather than American--except for now, as I am writing to you.  It's all rather inconsequential and random, yet, it's been in my thoughts today and I thought I would share.

I was sharing this with Brad tonight as we were headed home from small group and he noted that, at work, he "talks funny", so he switches over to his more clipped speech and receives a "much better, we can understand you now."  Soooo, I guess the big question of the day is, what exactly WILL we sound like when we get home?  Hopefully it will NOT be a conglomerate of all of the above.  :)

We love you and miss you all.  Hopefully I will be signing on again soon.

Have a blessed day!

Love,

The Zookeeper