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Showing posts from February, 2020

What is with the Possessive "My" When Referring to a City or Public Place?

I have seen MY most used on social media in two forms. One, somebody moves out of state and constantly posts about how "great MY new town is" and "all the exciting things there are to do in MY town." I often wonder if perhaps they are trying to convince themselves of this more than family and friends left behind. Like their old city was never theirs, but here, they finally belong – or so they want everyone to believe. The second instance, which I'm focusing on today, is a hometown local who lives in the same city he or she grew up in, constantly referring to the neighborhood as "MY town."  A recent caption I saw really struck my curiosity. "Enjoying MY afternoon in MY town." It's as though the person is saying the town is as much hers as her own afternoon belongs to her. I understand it is territorial, most likely some competition. "I was here first. I have always loved this town," as though a new resident can't p