Well SeriousAKA and AKAtude, I'm in the same pot with "y'all". I'm from Florence, S.C. (born, raised, and educated), but I now live here in Richmond. Now I'm ALWAYS being told that I have an accent (one which I seriously don't hear). Most people say that they LOVE to hear me talk because I SOUND like I come from the South. Now tell me if I'm wrong "y'all", but isn't VIRGINIA in the South also? I mean, for REAL.
But it doesn't matter, does it? Because "y'all" can believe that when I need to tighten up on my English (like during business conversations, presentations, or when having a conversation with someone about my MONEY or trying to prove a point to some so-called big-time INTELLECT), I roll with the BEST of them.
To be honest, I think accents are really neat. And, although I really don't hear my accent, I take it as a compliment when someone asks me to say something just so they can hear it.