You sound fake.
People often tell me that my accent sounds fake.
When I was younger, they told me I sounded posh.
In my school, that wasn’t something you wanted to be.
So, I faked it.
I copied the way other kids talked in an effort to blend in.
At first, it was a constant effort.
Eventually, it took more effort to speak in my natural voice.
Years later, a woman showed me a picture of her younger self.
She was unrecognizable.
I asked her how had she transformed from a mousy-haired dweeb into a blonde party girl.
“Fake it till you make it,” she told me, in that ridiculously thick French accent.
Another friend makes a funny little ‘V’ sign whenever they take a photo.
She said it started as a joke, but now it’s just what she does.
As a young football fan, I didn’t understand how anyone could go ballistic celebrating a goal.
So I faked it.
Now it comes naturally.
Faking till you make it is how you make it.
Dress for the job you want, as they say.
And beware of who you pretend to be because it will probably end up true.