My Deep Dark (well maybe not so dark) Secret

Supermindy's recent blog entry has compelled me to write about the thing I hardly talk about.

You know those annoying people who break out into different accents frequently?

Well, I'm one of them.

Remember that episode of Friends where Monica's friend goes to England and comes back with a British accent?

I'm what you call a natural mimic. I hear things and imitate them. I don't think it's a rare condition.

It's usually not a conscious thing. On Friends, it was presented as being a show-off/fake. It's really not like that--at least not for me. I don't sit there and think I will talk Australian today and impress people!

I just talk and it comes out--not all the time. At weird times. And rarely on demand. Well, actually no one demands it except Jack. So maybe it CAN come out on demand--at least with Jack.

The Australia accent thing started before I was even officially Australia-obsessed.

It began with Jack wanting me to play The Wiggles with him. He liked me to pretend to be Dorothy the Dinosaur. And then he got into The Koala Brothers and I had to be Josie the Kangaroo.

So.... I did the accent for our playtime and sometimes found that the accent would slip out when we weren't playing.

When we were in Australia, I felt myself picking it up again. I made a strong effort not to do it in public. I'm not sure why? I guess I'm embarrassed? Afraid I'm delusional and THINK I'm a natural mimic, but I'm really not. Or knowing my luck, the wrong accent would slip out and people would ask me what part of India I'm from. (I'm joking--have absolutely no ability to do Indian!)

I find myself switching accents in front of my family a lot. No one mentions anything. I'm not sure if they just don't notice. Or they're ignoring it--hoping it goes away.

The person who does mention it is Jack.

Jack has me talking quite often these days. Well, because we're playing McLeod's Daughters.

Usually, the accent just pops out of my mouth without any effort.

Every so often, it does not. Once I opened my mouth as Claire and a deep American Southern Accent came out.

Today at the pool, Jack started in on the McLeod's Daughters thing. Okay, if you haven't gotten the picture....he pretty much wants me to constantly be a McLeod's Daughters character. (If we keep going at this rate, I'll likely complete lose my American accent)

I told him I wasn't in the mood. I don't want to do an Australian accent right now.

Well, how about an American McLeod's Daughters?

So, I did that.

Almost immediately Jack told me that this wasn't going to work.

I said if I have to do an accent, he does too.

He tried it for awhile. He did an American accent with a "mate" (mite) thrown in every so often.

Well, there you have it. My big secret.

I read a young adult novel recently and one of the characters did the accent thing. It was presented as a sign of mental instability.

So there you go!

I joked to Tim....or maybe Tabitha. Maybe both? Anyway, I said I can picture what's going to happen. I'll get in a bad accident and wake up in the hospital with delusional amnesia. I'll speak with an Aussie accent and insist I live on Drovers Run.

Well, at least that way I can live in Australia. Okay, so it's only in my mind. But you gotta take whatever you can get. Right?



Another great "accent" scene from Friends.