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What it do, what it do? It's your boy Andre Spruel and you're tapped into middle of the fence podcast. Ever feel like the way you talk changes depending on who you're around? One room, you're misunderstood. Another room, you're told you've changed. So now you're stuck somewhere in between. Explaining yourself in one space, defending yourself in another. Just for being you. In this episode, we're breaking down what that really feels like. Navigating language, identity, and perception when you grow up between two different worlds. Let's get into it.

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What it do, what it do? It's your boy Andre Spruel, and you are tuning in to Middle of the Fence Podcast. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day. Whether you're listening, watching, or both, as I like to say, time is the most valuable thing on this earth because we can spend it, but can't make it back. So as always, thank you for your time. And one thing that you notice very quickly while navigating two different worlds is how differently people speak. Whether you grew up with navigating two worlds from a socioeconomic uh perspective, cultural perspective, or whatever the case may be for those that are tuning in. But let's start on the tough terrain side of things. Because over there, language isn't just communication, it's survival. And in those environments, the way people talk is fast, expressive, and layered. And a big part of that is African American vernacular English, better known as A-A-V-E. Now let me say this clearly: this is not broken English. That's a fully developed way of speaking with its own structure, its own rules, and its own history. And once you understand that, you realize how much meaning is packed into simple phrases. Like for example, are you good? That can mean I care about you. Or we got a problem. Same words, completely different meaning. Say less, that's cap. Bet word. These aren't just slang, they're shortcuts, they're signals, they're understanding without needing a whole explanation. And honestly, tone and body language matter just as much as the words themselves. So tone and body language really matters, uh, especially when it comes to being on the tough terrain side. Because, again, the same word or phrase can mean two completely different meanings. And growing up, I always joked around about, oh, whenever I'm on the affluent acre side and I wave hello to someone, they're always friendly and usually like wave back. But on the tough terrain side, you're lucky to get a wave back, maybe even you know, cracking a smile or anything like that. But all jokes aside, based on the urban upbringing, the body language portion really is a big factor, especially when it comes to potential situations that can put you in harm's way. And I'm not saying that every urban environment is unsafe and super high crime rated to the point where you can't even walk outside or anything like that. Uh, but you know, because of the nature of that environment, reading body language is a skill that you learn uh much earlier on and is something that not only benefits you with surviving in that type of neighborhood, but also picking up that skill to allow you to uh survive and handle anything that comes your way in life in general. But then there's another there's another layer to it. Even within the same community, language can be used to check you. For example, you talk white. Oh, you think you're better than us now? And that hits different because now it's not just about how you speak, it's about how people perceive who you are. All right, so let's go into the affluent acres side, where now you step into the affluent acres and everything absolutely changes here. The language is a little bit slower, more polished, more controlled, but don't get it twisted. It still carries weight. It's just a lot more subtle, let's say, than what's on the tough terrain side. But this is where you start to hear things like that's interesting. I don't see color. How many of us have heard that one before? Or you're so articulate. And on the surface, it sounds positive, but underneath, there's something else deeper that's being communicated. That's where the ideas of micro uh aggressions come in. Something that Daryl Wing Sue talks about in her study. These are small everyday comments that can carry exclusion or bias, even if the person didn't intend it that way. And what I noticed is this when I noticed this in the tough terrain is that disrespect is loud. You know exactly where you stand, but in affluent acres, disrespect can come with a smile. It's more coded. So with the language and the way that words are coded on the affluent acres side, what can happen is that you can be paid a compliment and you can take it at face value, but there's a deeper hidden, more hidden message behind it. And I'm not saying that, oh, if someone came grrew up from a suburban background and compliments you that, you know, that they're trying to throw shade or anything like that. I just want to be very, very clear about that. You know, there's people that can genuinely pay you a kind compliment, you know, but when it's obvious that you didn't grow up in a suburban type of upbringing because of, you know, external factors like uh your race or the way you dress or the way you speak or anything that falls into that category, uh, words can be used in a more tactile tactical way. T-A-C-T-I-L-E, trying to use the big bull cat for you guys there, uh style. And um, this is something that I realized early on and something that I wasn't made aware of until I started becoming friends with fellow classmates that you know either had a similar upbringing to myself or you know have a similar race or ethnic background. And you know, when you first come to that realization when you're on the receiving end of receiving a compliment that's actually not a compliment, uh it does make you feel dehumanized in a way. And frankly, it does suck, uh, regardless whether you hear that as a child, teenager, or as a grown-up. But it's something that is a reality that comes with the affluent acre side. And what makes it even more sad is that sometimes there's people that navigate their whole lives without even realizing that um, you know, certain phrases and words that can be used as compliments can actually uh have a much deeper and darker hidden message to it. And you learn real quick how to respond without making things uncomfortable. Even when something feels off. So let's talk about how it looks like when both worlds collide when it comes to this matter. Now, this is where things get interesting because when you live between both worlds, you start code switching, which is the common term that everyone knows. And let's clear something up when it comes to code switching. It isn't about being fake, it's about adapting. It's about reading the room. Sometimes it's even about survival. You go from yo, what's good, to hey, how are you? in a split second. You might say something one way at home in a completely different way somewhere else, right? And sometimes you slip. You say you buggin, but you say that in the wrong sentence and looks around and everybody freezes. Or someone hears that and thinks you're talking about gambling, especially with how popular sports gambling is these days. Or you go back home and now you're getting clowned for sounding quote unquote different. And in other spaces, you hear, you're not like the others. And it's like, where do I actually fit in? Now when the two worlds collide at this point, uh, you know, this is this is where things really get illuminated to the fullest, right? So when you see it from an affluent acres perspective, you start to get compared to, you know, peers that resemble you in a way. Again, whether it's through they uh resemble you through race or ethnicity or anything that is a clear indicator that you're just different. And uh, you know, just you're not like the others or you're one of the good ones, you know what I mean? Uh it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that that's a blatant example of, you know, uh racism, you know, low-key, high key. And on the tough terrain side, so it's not like uh, again, that tough terrain is completely absolved of this as well, because again, being different on that side showed up because of the way that I speak, you know. And one of the common things I was always told was you talk white. And uh you think you're better than us because you know, you're getting this type of uh education and you know, just experiencing a whole different world that's much different than my than something that my peers and neighbors and all that growing up probably won't ever experience in their lives, to be frank. But when you're caught in the middle like that, it really just further adds to where do I fit in? Where do I belong, right? Because again, you want to represent where you come from and you want to be proud of the hard work that you're putting in to stand with your peers on one side of the fence, but also want to show that, hey, it doesn't mean that I'm switching up or you know, or that I forget where I came from when it comes to the other side of the fence. But through it all, what matters most is that you find your way and realize that no matter where I'm at, what event I'm at, what side of the fence I'm at, that you develop the authenticity to be yourself. And no matter, you know, whether I'm code switching, speaking in African, American vernacular English, or whatever the case may be, that um, you know, that those are those types of uh the type of the types of reactions that you'll get uh from navigating two different worlds, it's just what comes with the territory, and you either uh when you take those words in, you either fall victim to it and let it bring you down, or you find a way to acknowledge it, work through it, and rise above it. Because now you're either explaining yourself or defending yourself based on the environment that you're in, whether you have those slip-ups or you know, just trying to talk how you do. And that's what it really feels like to live in the middle of the fence. And frankly, at the end of the day, language tells you everything about culture. And you don't need to travel the world to know that. And in tough terrain, language is rhythm, connection, and survival. And in affluent acres, language is control, perception, and power. And growing up between both, it teaches you how to translate, how to adapt, and how to recognize when words are being used to define you. Now, the question that I pose for the audience today is what's a phrase, word, or way of speaking from your environment that people outside of it just don't understand? And have you ever had to change how you talk depending on where you are? It was a wordy question, so let me make sure that I repeat it for you guys. So again, what's a phrase, word, or way of speaking from your environment that people outside of it just don't understand? And secondly, if you ever had to change how you talk depending on where you are. Drop it in the comments, shoot us a message, or just take some time to ponder on it. I'm really curious to hear your guys' perspective and what you have to say in regards to this matter. This is yet another reminder that no matter which side of the fence you grew up on, we're all more alike than we think. My name is Andre Sproul. Catch you guys next time. Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode. If this episode resonated with you, go ahead and follow the podcast so you stay tapped in and show some love with that five star rating. It really goes a long way so we can continue reaching more people just like yourself. And if you want to see these conversations, pull up on YouTube and check out Middle of the Fence. Appreciate you for tuning in. Time is the most valuable thing we got.