When I’m far from home, like I am right now, I have an accent. When I’m there I don’t. It’s the outsiders that “talk funny.”
My regional and ethnic style of communication is most comfortable to use and understand. Even when I’m not physically home I feel the familiarity when I meet someone from home. An aural representation of my home puts the outsider in my perspective. Sound also puts my favorite attributes from home on display: the artful speech that fluctuates in tone, the humor, the subversive topics.
I agree that home is familiarity. How beautiful to connect through speech. I talk funny no matter where I am! There is a lot of identity linked to language and the way we speak. My parents are Norwegian, but since we lived in the states I speak Norwegian with an American accent. I’ve tried to get rid of my accent, but now I guess I’m proud that my past is discernible. It shows that it’s possible to have more than one home.
What a different aspect of what is home! You are absolutely right and this is something that maybe we do not even notice… Thanks for your post !