The great thing about the accent

is that people remember you. I mean, really remember you.
One example: Royal and I went out to eat last week and were seated by a very outgoing college age girl. It went a little something like this...

Hostess: OH MY GOSH I love your accent! That is just, wow! Are you a fireman? (Royal was wearing a t-shirt that he had picked up during his last assignment for the Royal Marines, though it was nothing fireman-like)
Royal: No.
Hostess: Are you a policeman? (again, I have no idea)
Royal: No.
Me stepping in because Royal usually simply answers the questions in situations like these and doesn't elaborate: He was a British Royal Marine Commando.
Hostess: Oh wow! Well I just love that accent! It's just so great!

That was all we saw of her. Fast forward to last night, same restaurant though seated by a different hostess. We are looking at our menus, deep in thought when all of a sudden...

Waitress: Oh hey guys!! I'm a waitress now! Last week hostess this week waitress, I'm moving up!
Us: That's great, congratulations.
Waitress: Oh I just love his accent, you're so lucky! What would y'all like to drink?
-- I cannot express how excited the hostess-turned-waitress was through all of this. I mean, I could have, but I would have had to have added at least a hundred exclamation points. At least.

Now maybe you're thinking okay, so a waitress remembered him, so what? (yeah right, none of my lovely readers would think that!) It's not just waitresses - another example - Royal spoke to a police officer in my hometown two + years ago and that officer remembered him with no prompting a couple weeks ago. It happens to him all the time.

I'm willing to acknowledge that it's probably the complete Royal package that people remember, I mean, he is a very fit, very good lookin' guy. But I tell you, it's that gorgeous accent that really gets him the in every time! As a man moving to a new country and trying to get involved in the community and flourish professionally it's the ultimate bonus.