My Accent & the Chelsea Boys

Even though they speak the same language, often people who live in different parts of a country have regional accents which differentiate the way they speak.  Often residents of one part of the country are amused by the accents of those from elsewhere.

When I was a kid and we visited Massachusetts the people we talked to there often commented on our “accents.”  Of course we Ohioans all thought that we talked “normal” and that they were the ones with accents.

Here is a story that my Mom tells about an accent-related incident that occurred in Chelsea when I was about 10.  I don’t remember this, and actually might not even have been aware of it when it happened, but Mom was there and witnessed it.

There was a boy who lived right across the street from Daddy Con for several years.  He was in the house on the northwest corner of Clark and Webster.  I wish I could remember his name because we became pretty good friends and I remember being sad the summer when we came for our visit and discovered that his family had moved.  Of course, I never saw him again.

Anyhow, one day this boy was playing out in front of his house with a local friend of his.  I was across the street on the sidewalk near Daddy Con’s house playing with some toy soldiers.

The boy said to his friend (Mom heard), “See that kid over there?  He has a really funny accent.”

“He does?” the friend asked.

“He sure does. Listen,” then he called out, “Hey Tom.”

I looked up and said, “Huh?”

The boy turned to his friend and said, “See!”