In school, I had a hard time trying to fit in. I was very shy and didn’t know how to start a conversation with others. At times, I paid close attention to what people were talking about and how they talked, I kind of grasped it but also altered it by mixing in some of my own words and expressions. When I use “slang” (which is now called African American Vernacular English), I thought of some funny sounds and body language to go with it, such as, "bruh-bruh"(with some head nodding and hand motions). As the years went by I made friends and became a bit more social to a certain degree, which made some people think I was weird and maybe a little crazy. I also had a hard times trying to understand and define what some of these unique words actually mean. Now as a young adult, when I run into my former peers, they saw what I was trying to do which was be funny and of course make friends. I also use “slang” with my family and friends. When I talk to my mom, I sometimes use this dialect but some of the words I use are new and have similar meaning to the language she grew up around. So I guess you can say trying to make friends has influenced me to talk the way I do.
