Telling my story

I've been having a hard time lately: I haven't been sure how to smoothly interject the "I grew up in Pittsburgh" into a conversation.

It wasn't too hard in college because you usually started every course each semester with a basic introduction of your name, where you're from, and your favorite pizza topping or whatever. Plus, it's college--you except people to be from elsewhere--even if like 60% of the school was from Minnesota and Wisconsin, it's still a conversation to ask where. So everyone kind of knew, without it being a big deal.

Last year, I tried to not blurt it out at work except when it was actually relevant--maybe I was trying to assimilate into Minnesota a little bit and act like a transplant, but a transplant so long ago it doesn't matter now. My mom wasn't born in Pittsburgh, but she's lived there so long I tend to forget--though I think I'm starting to understand her a heck of a lot more. It always seemed to me that she was basically Pittsburgh, because she lived in Pittsburgh MY whole life, but I really get it now, how long it took her to feel more "at home".

I DIGRESS.

Lately, though, it's been harder. I work in a hockey store which is like quintessential Minnesota, and, I mean, people don't have any reason to think I'm NOT from the area, you know? It's usually not too bad until I start chatting about my own hockey playing, and I get a lot of "how long have you been playing?" and asking if I played in high school, or "who" I play for now. Oh, uh, actually, you've never heard of my high school because it's 800 miles away SO WELL.

I struggled. I would awkwardly be like "Well, actually, I'm not from here? I'm from Pittsburgh? So like....? Go Penguins? I live here now and Minnesota rocks?" and just kinda stumble over what I was saying.

But I answer this question at least once a work shift, and it's getting a lot smoother: I'm originally from Pittsburgh, I moved out here about five years ago for college, and I started playing hockey out here because I got swept up in the hockey culture.

It's the short version, and it certainly doesn't tell the complete story. But it's a good summary and it leads to an open conversation going forward. And, more importantly, I'm comfortable and confident telling it. I'm comfortable explaining how I got to today and why I'm still here.

And I think it accurately portrays me as my Pittsburgh-Minnesota self. I had been having trouble because those questions felt like a jolt from wanting to fit in. But finding smoother ways to interject "I'm from Pittsburgh" and easily tell my story has erased that discomfort, that I felt even a week ago. I'm so proud to be from Pittsburgh and I love talking about it! I'm just glad I found a way to make it easy on myself, to make it natural. To present myself faithfully.

Though, back to that high school question, I'm still tempted to be like "have you heard of Mario Lemieux by any chance? I went to high school down the street from his house."

I mean, why not, right?