I live in Utah. It’s a choice I made one day. Consciously.
I could have moved to Orange County after graduation and lived by the beach, and had parties with California boys while waxing poetic about In-N-Out Burger. I could have taken off to New York and felt sorry for people who didn’t get to jog daily in Central Park. I could have stayed in Idaho. I could have moved to Seattle and gotten really into indie music and hemp.
But I came here, and I’m glad.
There’s one complaint I have with Utah, and that would be self-proclaimed non-Utah people, who, when in Utah, write off everything new to them as a “weird Utah thing.”
“Yeah, I’m not from Utah. What’s a white elephant gift exchange?”
A former IT guy at my company actually posed this question to a coworker of mine. Like we have these secret Utah People Only meetings where we talk about white elephant gift exchanges in hushed tones in the rumored underground tunnel system in downtown Salt Lake City, and that furthermore, no one outside Utah would be familiar with the concept of a white elephant gift exchange.
It’s like me going to St. Louis and saying, “Sorry, I’m not from Missouri so I don’t know about you Missouri people and your taxi cabs.” I would look like a complete airhead.
Um, IT guy? Has it seriously never occurred to you that maybe you’ve just never been exposed to this cruel/awesome holiday tradition that is the white elephant gift exchange? Maybe you’ve been a bit hidden under a rock. And how many places have you lived, exactly? Unless you’ve lived out of the country a couple times and maintained permanent residence in myriad different states, how can you really be qualified to say that something is a “weird Utah thing?”
In my opinion, that’s kind of an interesting stance to take, especially when Utah citizens are criticized as of being close-minded and sheltered.
And if it is actually a weird Utah thing, like for example, fry sauce (which is spreading in popularity, but as I understand, is still used an inordinate proportions here), why don’t you at least get used to the idea? Or at the very least, stop acting surprised and pretentious about it. You don’t have to like it. I don’t think I’ll ever be dipping anything in a mayonnaise-based sauce. But for the love of tiny toy guns, get over yourself already.
The End.
Tune in tomorrow for suggestions on ways to save Thanksgiving from utter obscurity!
13 comments:
I love this! ... from a fellow Utahn.
Ha! Zach told someone here in NC the drivers are crazy. When they said it wasn't so bad, he asked how many states THEY had lived in. He has lived in seven, so I guess that makes him feel qualified to compare drivers. But I guess it makes him one of THOSE people too.
I lived in Utah for 6 years and although I think it's dumb when Utahns hate on Idaho, I think that its even dumber when Arizonan Mormons act like they are way more worldly and hip than Utah Mormons. I've lived both places and I say Utah Mormons all the way!!
In my experience, UT Mormons are so overrated. There are a lot of jack-Mormons from people I've met and heard about. My favorite ppl who live in UT havent lived there their whole life and arent consumed by this holier-than-thou attitude. Not saying everyone born and raised in UT is like that but the majority of those I've met have been like that. I never want to be a UT Mormon! haha..no hating..just adding a comment. Great blog btw
Great blog post. I think it's fashionable and trendy to bash Utah and its people and their "weird traditions." It's like shooting fish in a barrel, what with the highest population of Mormons of every state. Also, Mormons have been thrust into the national spotlight by anti-Prop-8 people. In fact, go to youtube and look at the trailer for 8: The Mormon Proposition. It's scary (and misleading).
Love, Mark
Yes, we Utahns have weird traditions and like weird things. That is us and we will always continue to be that way. We are who we are and we enjoy ourselves.
I am not from Utah either, but I agree with you... I think it is weird when people do things like this. Good post.
Utah is a rather odd state, not to say the people are weird,just Utah. I'm referring to your street system and the fact that if I am doing 1 mile over the speed limit that jerk cop is going to write me up for it.
I like weird, and different, in cases other than the cop.
You are right though, a White Elephant gift exchange is not just from Utah.
and umm... as a former Californian and new Arizonian, I have loved fry sauce since childhood! How can one not like ketchup and mayonaise with the frys, on their burger, tacos, etc... YUM!
this post is so funny and so true!
What?!? You don't like fry sauce?
That must be a weird Idaho thing.
:)
well said! i have nothing more to add!
nowhere else would 68 in the fast lane be acceptable.
move to nyc with jacque and me!!!
One of my friends from Idaho claimed Fry Sauce was 'their' thing, stolen by Utah. Good to know it comes from Home Sweet Home. As a Utahn (Utardd as former Cali roommates said, but I don't hate) I like the bizarrely Utah things. I can tell a native from the way they refer to the 24th of July. If they call it Pioneer Day, I know they are from out of state. Does anyone call the 4th of July Independence Day? My point exactly. Or rather, not my point, but my ramble. But I don't love anyone any less for being raised in Utah as a Mormon-self righteous or jack- or non Morman or for being raised outside of Utah under the aforementioned conditions. I think once you start attaching whole personality traits to location you've slipped into being superficial.
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