Comments on: Being From Utah

By: Nick Literski

Nick Literski — Thu, 24 May 2007 14:05:22 +0000

My best Utah story….
At the time of the dedication of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, I was working graveyard shift security. As people began to stream into town, it was common to see them pull up nearby in the middle of the night, just to look. One night, I was making my rounds when an elderly woman and her 40-ish daughter pulled up at the back side of the temple site. We conversed a bit, and I asked where they were from. “Utah,” they answered. I good naturedly said something about how I’d heard of that “vast desert wasteland out west.” The elderly woman was *completely* offended, and indignantly declared, “IT’S BLOSSOMED LIKE THE ROSE!!” The daughter and I exchanged glances, obviously both amused by the mother’s reaction.

That wasn’t the end of it, however. After a few moments, the daughter made a comment of breathtaking profundity: “Can you just imagine it? Part of OUR culture, OUT HERE!” I swear, it was all I could do not to say “Yeah, you know when they built the original, they had to drag it out here from Utah by oxcart!” ;-)

By: Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 24 May 2007 04:47:31 +0000

Isn’t Park City part of Los Angeles now?

and I think I heard that the UC (University of California) is planning to annex BYU.

By: Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 24 May 2007 04:32:42 +0000

when I lived in the Bay Area (The SF one) almost everyone that asked where I was from would give the “I’m sorry you are from Utah”
Line. Now that I live in Oregon I am too embarrased to say that I lived in California. It was only six years, as opposed to the twenty-eight I spent in Utah.

I tend to get better reactions with ” I lived in California but I am from Utah”

By: DKL

DKL — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:00:25 +0000

As a general rule, people consider it socially acceptable to make fun of any place to which they do not feel an especially strong attachment. I think that it’s important to eliminate all geographical holy cows, and just make fun of everywhere. The Earth, after all, should be a source of joy.

For my part, I’m often embarrassed to say that I’m from Boston — not because others have such a low opinion of Bostonians (thought they may), but because I have such a low opinion of Bostonians.

What I’d like to see is a post asking people to advance humorous stereotypes about people from every region of the globe. I’ll start here:

People from Antarctica are a bunch of agoraphobic lock-ins.

By: makakona

makakona — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 22:55:14 +0000

i’m from san diego… anything above los angeles is northern california, ha.

so, opposite problem than a lot of people. born and raised and lived in the same place till i got married. moved somewhere fantastic and lovely and awe-inspiring and started my marriage and had my oldest two kids there. we have since left and even though our families all still live in san diego, i feel “from” the state i used to live in. i moved a year and a half ago and STILL catch myself saying, “we recently moved from…”

we’re in los angeles now, not a desirable part, and there ain’t NO way i’m claiming this as home. interestingly, my husband was born here, moved to idaho when he was two or three, then moved to san diego when he was about ten and he says he’s from san diego. his adulthood has been spent in illinois, florida, south carolina, hawai’i, virginia and he still claims san diego, though he only lived there about eight years.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:48:45 +0000

As a lifelong member of the Church, born on Colorado and raised in the north-east, the correct term for the well meaning, but hopelessly acultured Utahn, was Utard.

By: Sherpa

Sherpa — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 13:49:10 +0000

I really don’t care if people make fun of Utah, as long as there isn’t any real malice or it isn’t being taken seriously.

I also get a kick out of people who say, I went to BYU and I can tell you I know the state and would never want to live there. Yeah, going to school at the Y doesn’t really give you a great idea of what living in the state is like.

Then there’s the whole Northern Utah is Ogden, eastern Utah is heber and central utah is provo mentality. That makes me laugh too.

annegb–I totally can relate to the whole “you’re not from here unless you’re family’s been there for 5 generations.” My parents moved to Vernal when I was four and they still live there. Even though I went to school there, I got the whole, “you’re a transplant” the whole time I grew up there. Kids and adults would ask if you were born here and where your parents were from all the time. You’d see many elections where a much more qualified “outsider” would be defeated by the “good ol boy who had a sketchy political past because he was a Smuin or a Batty etc.”

But at the same time, I like Utah. Even though I haven’t lived there for 6 years, I like the state. I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to live there again, but I would. I prefer the east side of the state, but I’d even live in Utah County if given the chance. ;)

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:38:06 +0000

Interesting. I live in Philly now, grew up in Seattle area and went to undergrad at UVSC. So does this make me from Seattle. You bet, especially to people around Philly. If they press the issue I tell them I went to school for a few years in Utah. I am not from there however…and feel sorry for those who are, lol, just ribbing you weirdos, lol, there’s another one :P

I will definitely visit Utah again, but only to go to Lake Powell.

By: Craig W.

Craig W. — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:14:12 +0000

I personally think SLC has matured into a very nice city. Last time I was there I was impressed at how nice it had become. The mountains are truly beautiful. However, that does not mean that I could live there. I am not sure. My brother (inactive mormon) who lives there has been able to make it work.
As a joke, I often refer to Utah as “The Belly of the Beast.” Only once have I received a negative reaction to the comment. He was a fresh missionary from somewhere north of SLC. He was not amused.

By: annegb

annegb — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:40:07 +0000

John #19 –I always think of northern Utah as that area around San Francisco.

nofelete #23 – I never thought anybody was sassing me when they call me ma’am, but it was quite a shock the first time it happened. I went from being a girl to ma’am. It makes me feel old.

Although I recall saying to a customer (when I clerked at the convenience store): “Did you have gas out there, Ma’am?” And the customer turned around complete with beard to go with that shiny long hair. Good thing he had a sense of humor.