Remember when we had to write yearbook quotes?
Remember your senior yearbook quote?
I remember mine. Like you (probably), I spent weeks wracking my very teenage brain about something special and clever to put down.
And then I had it: My school's quote had to do with what students' future plans were and, thinking myself particularly smart and charming, I'd written, "Mark plans to outwit cartoon animals." Not that great, right?
But it got even worse. Because my handwriting was so bad, the person in charge couldn't read what the heck I'd written. And so I spent the next two weeks trying to explain to anyone who'd listen that "Mark plans to go out with cartoon animals" was an embarrassing typo that did not at all speak to my social interests.
Sometimes yearbook moments don't turn out right. But one student recently got her clever quote completely perfect. She nailed it.
I hesitate to use the word "internet icon" more than once or twice a month — they come and go so fast! — but if anyone deserves the title, it's Krysta Montoya, an 18-year-old from New Mexico who went all in on her quote. I promise you, it is very good.
If you're not familiar with "Grey's Anatomy," it's that show about the hospital you probably shouldn't go to because everyone's too busy fighting and staring at each other sexily to actually save lives. (Sorry, but it's true.)
And because it's so rife with drama, this heavily coded message could be about any number of truly fantastic events that have happened in the show's many seasons.
Does it refer to the time that Christina Ricci unexpectedly showed up as a guest star? Or the time there was a ghost haunting the hospital? Or the time — OK, I might be remembering this incorrectly — someone actually stole a heart so she could keep the man she loved alive?
This quote is about so much more than that. And it's actually a beautiful message of self-love and acceptance.
No, you don't need to go through the entire series for the answer (could be fun, though). After people started asking, Montoya revealed on Twitter what the line actually meant.
And here's what I mean about it being iconic: It's meaningful, but it's also sassy AF, which is what the kids are saying these days, I think.
The scene is one in which character Erica Hahn realizes she's a lesbian. But Montoya wasn't using the quote to come out — or, as "Queer Eye" culture expert Karamo Brown would say, "let people in." Montoya, who often posts tweets of herself and her girlfriend, has been open about her sexuality since her freshman year.
But an opportunity to reaffirm herself using her favorite show? She wasn't going to let that pass by.
"I chose this as my quote because I feel some people do not accept who I am. I just wanted to basically make a bold statement," she told Business Insider. "I've lost some friends over my sexuality, but my family has always supported me."
The response to the quote has been overwhelming. And Montoya's using the opportunity to spread the word about living your best life.
Overall, Montoya is surprised by the reaction she's gotten. She says that she chose to code her message so school officials wouldn't cut it from the yearbook, but she didn't really expect anyone else to care. "A lot of friends I don’t talk to came out and told me how cool and awesome it was!" Montoya tells Upworthy.
As for her peers who may not be so accepting? Montoya isn't bothered. Though she told BuzzFeed that her statement was bold in that it threw subtle shade at those who have never accepted her sexuality — some, she'd said, told her she'd be dating a guy by senior year — she believes that one can't live and die by the acceptance of others.
"I don't really need anyone's acceptance, just my family's," she says. "I'm happy with who I am. If my peers don't believe so, that’s their choice."
And she's got a message for others who might be struggling with their own identities or figuring out how to be themselves: "Live your life, be happy," she says. "You are not living in this world to make anyone else happy but yourself. You deserve to be you, and you deserve to be the happy version of you."
Man, that would make a great senior quote, too.
This article originally appeared on 05.03.18
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
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."