My cousin Philip phoned me the other day to catch-up. Philip is part cousin, part friend, part brother and definitely one of my favourite people on the planet. While speaking, I noticed that I was shouting instead of talking. SHOUTING. I shared this observation with my family who immediately unveiled their imitation of my voice when I talk to cousin Phil. Evidently, they noticed the shouting a long time ago.

They yelled, laughed, and yelled some more. They’re not as funny as they think.

All of this made me think about the different tone I take when speaking to each of my friends. To protect the names of the innocent, I shall categorize them:

Gutter mouths – When I talk to my other swear-pals I barely get through the first sentence without dropping an f-bomb. Clearly their fault.

Sweet Confidants – All the love in my heart oozes when I talk to my dearests. There’s one that’s most special and the fact that we are open about our affection makes me gush even more.

Fellow children of Immigrants – I swear (not f bombs) we develop a slight accent built around the commonality of shared experiences and the love of food. We also heap on the guilt and lead with the latest gossip news. It’s a judgey voice for sure.

Older friends – I love that I’m the ‘kiddo’ in this clan, keeping me forever young. My voice is fun and youthful. Partly to rub it in, partly because they bring out that side in me. I get to feel like a little sister, which I adore.

Younger friends – These people are assholes. You’d think they’d realize they’re only a few years behind and they’ll be losing their memories soon too. My voice with this crew is generally apologetic and on edge. Damnit, I’m always getting caught forgetting something. Jerks.

MUCH younger friends –Ah – this group makes me feel like I have something to offer. They help encourage my younger voice while allowing me to pretend I have wisdom to share. This voice is confident, loving and eager for fashion advice. Thanks for that ‘Sam’ 🙂

There’s more, but these are the ‘outside voices’ dominating my ‘inside voice’ this week – all because I shouted at Philip. Any of them sound familiar? I’d love to hear from you!

#DeepThoughtsWithPam