Friday, November 08, 2013

Music to My Ears

I didn't always love the Southern dialect.  When my family moved to Georgia, I refused to like anything about it.  I refused to pick up any of the sounds or expressions of speech that were all around me.  Ya'll?  No, thanks.  Ma'am and sir?  Nope.  And I certainly wouldn't draw out my I's.

Years and years later, I sort of find myself wishing I had let myself change the way I speak.  Sure, I can imitate the dialect, if I need to, but it's not the same.  People who have never been to the Deep South don't know the difference, but I do.  And I miss it.

Today, however, my longing for the Southern sound was satiated.  I heard this on the NPR food blog: The Enigmatic Pecan: Why So Pricey and How to Pronounce It?  Besides being an interesting piece about the American pecan economy, there's an audio clip of a South Georgia farmer, and he has a wonderful way of talking that makes me miss my old home.


Addendum:  This just in!  Southern Accents Voted Most Attractive.  :) 


Thing I'm thankful for: grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup on a cool night

2 Comments:

Blogger tck4texas said...

We moved to Texas when I was 8 years old. I think the story goes that I cried because I didn't want to get an accent. I have adopted "ya'll", which is about it. I still have to think twice before asking for a "pop".

There is something enchanting about accents for sure! On NPR I heard a report that included a New Yorker. It reminded me of a favorite patient of mine. Accents have ways of attaching themselves to memories. Much like music.

8:09 AM  
Blogger Sara said...

Haha -- yep, "pop" is definitely not Southern! :)

10:38 AM  

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