Don't tell me my accent doesn't exist

"Be very careful when talking to a person about their accent," my wife Caron said to me with a raised eyebrow. It's possible that a corrective idea like "everyone has an accent" — so they should be seen as value-neutral — could have been pushed even further to "accents don't exist." "Language is a key part of everyone's culture and identity, and it's important to not erase that." Language is a key part of everyone's culture and identity, and it's important to not erase that — but rather to embrace the beauty of the different ways that we all use language every day." "Language like 'Former Crack Entrepreneur' might not be the best way to reach these kids," I told the organizer, whose face shaded into a bashful red.