Rethinking The Whole Utah-Bashing....

So, I was thinking about how I have a tendency to say semi-unkind things about Utah here on the blog....well, okay, I flat-out bash this place every chance I get, I'll admit it. My last post may not have been the nicest post about Utah but, in my defense, I don't like any stretch of land without a mall nearby...it just so happens that because I live here, instead of Montana, I am familiar with the desolate landscape of southern I-15. But there is more to this post than a silly excuse for my Children of the Corn comment.

Here's the thing. This weekend, my dad and I went up to Snowbird and took the tram there up to Hidden Peak or whatever the name of that mountain is. So we're up there, joking around and making fun of everyone around us when I find myself looking at the view of the Salt Lake Valley and realize, "Wow...this is really breathtaking!" And it was. Absolutely stunning. Utah is, in fact, one of the more scenic places I have lived, in terms of natural wonders (this isn't saying a lot when you think about the fact that I was previously living in Ohio...not a lot there besides the cows...). But in all seriousness, I do like living here. It is beautiful and the Mormons aren't all that bad, I suppose.

But here's where my beef with my experience out here lies. I think the reason I tend to be rather unkind about this fine state is that I have been less than impressed with certain aspects of the culture out here. I'm fine with the abundance of religion surrounding me because when or if I get sick of that, I can just tune it out by singing curse words to myself or whatever. But I have a real hard time getting beyond the enormous amount of a-holes that seem to make up the male population out here. As dating is something I enjoy and something that I expected very much to continue enjoying out here, I have been alternately dismayed or plain disgusted with the absolute lack of dating out here. And sadly, I have let my frustration with that one aspect of life out here taint my view of the entire Utah experience.

Now you can chide me if you want but I'll probably ignore you. As it is, I admit that I haven't given Utah a fair shake. A few bad apples (all of which we'll assume have itsy-bitsy penises - because that's what makes 'em bad) shouldn't influence my overall view of Utah and so, in the almost 2 weeks I have left out here, I promise to try to not dog the state too badly.