I DO NOT Speak Funny!!

Ever since moving to "the city," I am constantly getting laughed at because of the way I speak. I have never noticed it before, but of course I wouldn't since I am the one speaking. I thought I sounded like everyone else around me, but apparently I was wrong.

I could see no one pointing it out to me in high school because I grew up with these people, so it was nothing out of the ordinary to them. But I did go to college, and no one pointed it out there. As a matter of fact I was constantly picked on then for using "big words" an talking "proper."

Fast forward to life after college, and now all of a sudden I speak funny. For example, words like nice, rice, or lice, apparently come out of my mouth sounding like nahyce, rahyce, lahyce. One person even went as far as saying I have a lazy tongue. WTF!?! Should I be offended by that? I think I should. And then people wonder why I'm so quiet.

I didn't think my accent was that thick, but then again when I went to D.C. some lady in a restaurant turned completely around and interrupted my conversation to ask if I was from Texas. Yes, lady! And very proud of it!