Am I Southern?

So I’ve lived all over the country. Even though I’ve spent about half my life in the South, I really don’t consider myself to have a Southern accent. Sure, I say certain things like “y’all” and long-vowel “Is,” but I’ve always thought I have a very neutral American accent. When you live in the South, you learn to appreciate what Southern accents actually are (hence why most shows featuring folks living below the Mason-Dixon line have subtitles) and how you don’t have one.

We’ve been in Colorado less than a month, and multiple people have asked me if I’m Southern. The first was a state police officer (I was getting an inspection done on my car, nothing illegal). The second was a groomer who noticed that I was also wearing a monogrammed sweatshirt (#monogramallthethings). A few more have also asked if I am Southern just from hearing me speak. To be honest, I’m now confused as to just how Southern I apparently sound.

So what exactly makes you Southern or not?