Does your zip code make you uptight?

[accadacca]

Mostly a question for the Utah folks. Do you think living in Utah makes you more uptight then you would be otherwise. No matter your religion, do you find yourself getting uptight over issues because of the environment in which you live. When you might not normally be bothered living outside Utah. Maybe peeps could address this that have recently moved out of state, like shlingdawg. Is it the culture that rubs off on everyone and they want to feel accepted by the very rigid and conservative society found in Utah.

An excerpt from another forum. This person is considering moving to Utah.

Is life there like life anywhere else with good and bad, regular, unreal, superficial people, etc. Sometimes I think of it as an uptight, rigid place where you walk on egg shells.

Another interesting tidbit that I heard on the radio the other day.

Utah and/or Salt Lake City also rank tops in the nation in searches for "pornography," "naked girls," "striptease," "topless," "nude," "strip poker," "lingerie," "blonde" and "brunette."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...217813,00.html

[JP]

Utah took my breath away. You guys have no idea how great you have it, speaking of the great outdoors. My hat is off to Utah

[accadacca]

Fo sho JP. The outdoors in Utah is amazing. Yet, the culture and subsequent rub off effect has me wanting to pack my bags sometimes. YMMV. . .

Anybody got anything?

[abirken]

No. My zip code makes me feel about as close to a hippy love fest as possible. I live in the most liberal area of Colorado. I'm actually very ok with it. As long as we have peace and love and TRUELY identify with our astrological signs.......then I'm all good. Buddhist meditations every Sunday morning in a mud Kiva make me complete. :)

[Sombeech]

I'm leaving this forum.

[abirken]

I'm leaving this forum.

Liar, Liar pants on fire. No you aren't!! HAHA!!!

[shlingdawg]

I may be premature in chiming in on this topic as I've only been out of the state of Utah for 3 weeks. I've met many of my new neighbors and things couldn't be more different from my last neighborhood in Syracuse.

In Utah, my perception was that I was being critiqued/evaluated everytime I stepped out my door. Since I didn't fit into the mainstream, church-going, do-good-on-Sunday/screw-you-on-Monday group, I started to find my niche with my friends that accepted me for who/how I was.

I might be a special case study though. I used to be Mormon and quit - so in the eyes of a large portion of the Utah population - I'm worse than a non-member................I'm an apostate.

I currently live in the backwoods of Washington. I'm not in the Belleview/Seattle/King County rich mans neck of the woods, so it might be different over there. I live on the Olympic Peninsula in Port Orchard. Most of my neighbors are either in the military or work at the ship yards in Bremerton. It's a blue collar area of the world that I tend to associate better with than living by the Jones'. It's rural and very quiet. At night, the only thing I hear is the croak of some frogs, crickets and in the mornings - it's birds and some vocal geese flying overhead. Nature.

I don't miss the culture of Utah. I don't miss the pissed off drivers of Utah that are in such a big damn hurry all of the time. I don't miss the back-talking of neighbors and coworkers alike. I enjoy being looked at for the person I am, instead of the person that people wish I was.

On a Bogley note - I just found out that I have a 635 acre designated wilderness park within 5 minutes from my house that is loaded with hiking and Mt. Bike trails. Last September, a Mountain biker got his ass kicked when he rounded a corner and ran into a black bear and her cubs, but things have been quiet since. I'll be sure to post some pics/trail reports when I ride it soon.

Utah isn't bad - there are worse places to call home. But there are plenty of other places too.

[abirken]

Under the Banner of Heaven: Story of a Violent Faith answered a lot of questions I had about the Mormon religon. Very interesting. It left me wondering and saddended about the children that are brought up to believe or rather shall I say, BRAINWASHED into a religon. But I don't want to make this a religon thread......it can get ugly. So I'll leave it alone. But glad to hear you are at one with yourself and have found nature as an avenue for your sense of being rather than a story or group of people to dictate that. I hear Washington State is beautiful!!!

[JP]

I think everywhere has it downsides, it's just what out numbers the other; positives or negatives. You guys complain about drivers out there, take a trip to the Tri-State area and get ready to defend yourself. I think here we're a little fast paced, always having to get somewhere as fast as it could be done. So, if people were going to judge you, it would have to be done pretty quick. The other thing I'm blessed with, I still live in the same house I did when I was born, so my neighbors I've known for the past 38 years. That may also be why I don't feel I'm being judged

[sparker1]

From a traveler's perspective, Utah is great. Not only does it have the advantages of the beautiful wilderness areas, the people there seem more friendly than most other places. Maybe they are just more outgoing. I'm not religious, but the Mormons we've met never seem interested in that. The pace of life and traffic is more hectic today in almost all areas of the country. Too bad, sometimes it seems that prevents true enjoyment of life and the people around you,

I have heard non-Mormons in Utah say they feel left out, or did until the percentage of non-Mormons increased to a point that they could enjoy a social life.

[RugerShooter]

I'm leaving this forum.

[Teleken]

I'm in Colorado Springs which next to some areas of Utah or Idaho is as conservative as life can get. Sure I would love to live in a more liberal area like Glenwood or Aspen (too much $$) .The issue people miss is that if you let outside influences affect your mood you have lost control of your life and others now determine your mood.

[Scott Card]

Under the Banner of Heaven: Story of a Violent Faith answered a lot of questions I had about the Mormon religon. Very interesting. It left me wondering and saddended about the children that are brought up to believe or rather shall I say, BRAINWASHED into a religon. But I don't want to make this a religon thread......it can get ugly. So I'll leave it alone. But glad to hear you are at one with yourself and have found nature as an avenue for your sense of being rather than a story or group of people to dictate that. I hear Washington State is beautiful!!!

I've not read this book you refer to. Does it purport to be a book about Mormonism or some other faith or is it a compilation of many religions with a bit of violence in their history? I always figured if you had a question about a Catholic, ask a Catholic. Same goes for the Mormon thing. Feel free to ask away. I feel no shame, embarrassment or fear about who I am or what I believe. I am always curious to hear what others perceptions are of my religion. A little education goes a long way to dispel any rumors out my faith. I am still waiting for Huckabee to give me a jingle so I can edumacate his goofed up perceptions. I mean I buff my horn off every morning when I shave. I have lived in LA and San Antonio and I know the feeling of being in the religious minority. Any perceptions my wife or my coworkers had about us were usually blown away when we would show up to parties, not drink, and still be the life of the party. As an aside, I found in Texas that by ability to win at horseshoes proportionally increased as the volume of beer my competitors drank increased. So what are your perceptions? I can take it. I won't even comment unless you want me to. I have genetically thick skin.

[Scott Card]

p.s. I am not trying to call anyone out. I have the opportunity to speak to many mormon church groups and I am all about being more welcoming, friendly, and christian. I really an curious about the non-Mormon perceptions of Mormons.

[Scott Card]

I might be a special case study though. I used to be Mormon and quit - so in the eyes of a large portion of the Utah population - I'm worse than a non-member................I'm an apostate.

.

Your not hated, at least by me. Lost maybe and I know a couple of SAR mormons who could find and rescue you. Washington sounds great. I have only been there once. What a beautiful place. I must canyoneer there one day in the north west. And by the way, I can't stand Utah drivers also. I can say that. I grew up here and have moved back here. I have seen the driving "light", and it is better elsewhere.

[accadacca]

Well Scott,

Your experiences living out of state and country (right?) make you more open minded then many. Which equates to being less uptight IMO and more cultured/sociable. Especially in your particular zip code. This wasn't really meant to be a religious thread. But I wont bitch and moan if it gets hijacked.

Do you think that Utah residents who have lived in Utah all their life cant relate to "outsiders" because they have been living in a "bubble?" We know that Utah county is considered the bubble, but I think it actually stretches over most of the state. Am I making sense? Everyone has seen the Truman Show right.

[Scott Card]

I think moving is a great experience for anyone. Those who have never left the Bible belt are in the same position as Utahans who have never lived anywhere else. Or those who have never left Boston or L.A. for that matter. You are correct about the bubble thing. It is hard to explain that there is life out side. Reminds me of the cave story by, lets see was it Plato? Anyway, one of the best experiences I had was being the only Mormon in law school, being afraid to be white during the Rodney King riots, going to two house warming parties with gays, having a drink table designated for me at the student bar association parties (and they took the word "bar" seriously at my school). Yes, I know what it feels like to be in the minority. I may be more open minded than many. Hence the reason I like to hear how others feel so that I can, in some small way help them if I can or help those in "the bubble". Despite our differences, we are here together. From the wise philosopher, Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"

[packfish]

When I would go back to Ohio from college everyone would ask me the same thing. " How do you handle the Mormon culture out there?" And my answer was always the same. " Just like I handled the Catholics here."
I did my own thing. Hell, I don't live in SLC, I live in Cache Valley and it still never botherd me. I have been lucky enough to travel and see all of the US and I'm still here --------- by choice.
All my old buddies spent a lot of money every year to come and enjoy places , just for a week, that I can walk off my property and enjoy every single day. When you learn to quit fighting what really isn't the obstacle you make it out to be you find a lot of enjoyment.

[greyhair biker]

Having grown up in Sandy, gettting married & then moving to Wyoming, I've lived here in 82935 since 1987. Nearly all my extended families lives along the Wasatch Front & so I get down there every month. If, and that is a big IF, the income was there I'd move back to Utah. I enjoy it there, I actually know Utah better than Wyoming. The schools here are great, the shopping sucks big piles of monkey crap, the outdoors here are both breathtaking AND mindsuckingly boring ( I-80 has been put along the armpit of the state)
There are very few places in Utah that are not worth seeing...mostly I love Utah...
As for the people, well, people are people no matter where you go and I travel alot all over the country. I am of a firm belief that you really are doing yourself a big disservice if you DONT go places and see how the rest of the world lives.

[Redpb]

When I was back east, New Jersey - Pennsylvania, it was tough to find an LDS church. At one point one of my buddies told me to go mormonize myself a corner. It was all in good fun. Anyway, I was outside of Utah for some time and got a feel for what I consider 'the real world'.

I enjoy Utah, I wouldn't raise my kids anywhere else.

What I hate, is the notion that if you aren't mormon you are a bad person and possibly going to hell. I have neighbors that aren't mormon, and another house with two ladies living an 'alternative' lifestyle. Both of these houses are GREAT people. I would rather hang with them then some of my ward member neighbors. They obviously get ignored in the area. When we had the huge snowfall in January, church was cancelled and we were asked to help shovel out neighbors and ward members. I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but I was the only one shoveling these folks out while others passed on by. These are good people, there is no reason for that crap. That's what I hate.