I Am Not Ashamed Of My Appalachian Accent
Our culture goes beyond our vowel pronunciation.
Sydney Meade in 500 Words On on Nov 3, 2015
I spent the first 18 years of my life being molded by the mountains. I have explored every twist and turn on the back of a four wheeler. I know exactly how the Appalachian hills reflect each season with a beauty that only God himself could have crafted. When I left for college, a mere three hours away, I did not know how different I would seem to some of my peers because of where I call home. My accent was always the first topic of conversation, most out of genuine curiosity but some just condescension. The follow up question typically involved “...but what do you do there?” and ended with a causal “I couldnever live there.” It was confusing and sometimes hurtful how easily people could dismiss the place I loved. As college continued, though, I grew and made connections beyond that of my hometown. My accent still remained a tell-tale reminder of where I was from, though. I continued to get questions about it or be asked to repeat words because of the way I said them. I will not lie and say that I was never embarrassed, because I was, but I also knew that hiding my voice would be an injustice to my home.
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