Yes, David Beckham is really good at soccer.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images.
And, yes, he's very easy on the eyes.
Photo by Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images.
But it's Beckham's generosity of spirit that really makes him shine.
For close to 11 years, Beckham has served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. In this role, he's traveled around the globe to support and raise awareness for the world's most vulnerable kids.
Fight for the protection of children around the globe @unicef
A photo posted by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on
Beckham has met with children in Thailand, the Phillippines, South Africa, and more. At every stop, he uses his celebrity to raise awareness about the preventable dangers affecting young people around the globe, including malnutrition, AIDS, and Ebola.
On Jan. 12, 2016, Beckham received the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership Award from UNICEF for his commitment to children worldwide.
Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
The honor, named for UNICEF's first celebrity ambassador, Danny Kaye, is bestowed upon individuals who take an active role to save and improve the lives of children around the globe.
Beckham attended the star-studded UNICEF Biennial Ball in Beverly Hills and accepted his award from Sir Elton John and David Furnish.
But awards like this don't signal the culmination of a life's work. In fact, they often mean just the opposite.
Which is to say, Beckham's done a lot — but he's just getting started.
In 2015, Beckham launched 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund — the 7 being a reference to his jersey number.
A photo posted by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on
The 7 fund differs slightly from Beckham's work as a goodwill ambassador. Instead of visiting a single destination, Beckham traveled to seven different countries to take part in seven big initiatives including education, HIV/AIDS prevention, and clean water.
Long term, Beckham plans to serve as a fierce advocate for these children while encouraging others (especially his famous friends) to give give what they can to help meet these urgent needs.
And Beckham even found a way to incorporate his first love, soccer, into his charitable mission.
Beckham plays with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in Leyte in 2014. His passion for soccer lead to his next big project with UNICEF and the 7 fund. Photo by Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images.
Beckham committed himself to playing seven soccer matches on all seven continents in 10 days.
Instead of the the well-appointed, sold-out stadiums he was accustomed to, he traveled to rugged and remote locations where UNICEF serves, like a small village in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and a refugee camp in Djibouti.
And yes, the star and his crew even made their way to Antarctica.
A photo posted by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on
The Herculean effort was filmed for the BBC documentary "For the Love of the Game," which is streaming now in the U.K.
So next time you run into David Beckham, remember this:
Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images.
- Try not to faint.
- Give him a high five (or long sensual hug) to thank him for all the good work he's done for kids around the globe.
Because you don't need a cape, or even an international modeling contract, to be a hero, just a kind heart. (Though the latter certainly doesn't hurt.)
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."