A would-be congressman has a really good reason for not living in his district.
At the expense of some votes, he sends a strong message about what matters.
Jon Ossoff wants to represent Georgia's 6th District in Congress, but there's one problem: He doesn't technically live there.
During an interview with CNN's Alisyn Camerota, Ossoff admitted he isn't eligible to vote for himself because he lives just outside of district boundaries. While it's legal to run for office in a district other than the one you live in, it certainly can be frowned upon.
Jon Ossoff. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
Ossoff grew up in the district but moved just south of there so he and his girlfriend, Alisha Kramer, could be closer to Atlanta's Emory University, where she's going to medical school.
Opponents jumped on Ossoff's admission that he doesn't actually have residency in the 6th District, with the National Republican Congressional Committee going so far as to call him a carpetbagger.
The truth is much simpler: Many people relocate for the sake of their partner's career.
Kramer (left) and Ossoff. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
As a society, we've come to expect women to follow men and not vice versa.
Advice columnists have taken stabs at parsing these expectations, finance websites have published articles about how to succeed as a "trailing spouse," and support groups and websites have even begun popping up to help those who follow their loved ones cope with what can certainly be a stressful time. But still, it's often assumed this is a burden that should placed on women. Ossoff's decision to support Kramer shows there's a flip side to that narrative.
None of this is to suggest it's somehow better he lives outside of the district he hopes to represent, but simply that life and relationships are complicated in their own ways.
Ossoff. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
For what it's worth, Ossoff and Kramer plan to move back to the district as soon as she finishes her medical training.
The ability to find compromise and willingness to sacrifice is key in any healthy relationship. Ossoff probably could have rushed to relocate after President Trump selected Tom Price as his Health and Human Services secretary, creating the need for a special election.
But that would have sent a message in itself that his support for Kramer was contingent upon him not having anything better to do. By sticking to the couple's original plan, even at the prospect of losing voters, he sends another message about who he is as a person — and that's just as important.
Ossoff and Kramer meet with supporters. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."