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I’ve been thinking about Utah. I go back about once a year. I’ve got family in Logan & Salt Lake. This year will be my 20 year high school reunion. I’m not attending since I spent a week in Logan for my sister’s wedding. Enough is Enough.

Yesterday I reconnected with a friend from High School, Jason Peterson, who you can see then & now. He said:

 

Wow, what a strange state we hail from. Glad we got out! 

My family moved to Logan Utah in the 5th Grade. I was born in Salt Lake City but we moved to Dekalb Illinois for my father’s teaching job at Northern Illinois University The departure was long enough that I was not ever able to properly re-enter the society. Most of the later years 1986-1991 were devoted to reaching escape velocity.

Without a doubt it is a nutty place.

I believe the locals would like you to think that as a rule it is a righteous, conservative, and wholesome place.  They do seem to believe that society is better there.

Today I polled a few people about what they though it would be like:

white-bread conformance

a high quality of life in the lovely town of Salt Lake City in spring AND desperation… some raggedy-assed hobo trying to thumb his way out of town with no intention of ever returning to such a pit of misery as that entire state is rumored to be

a state that has a high percentage of mormons. red rocks… great for skii, hicking, camping..out doors

What you may not know about Utah is there is a very healthy and active counter culture made possible in part from the don’t ask, don’t tell mentality of the State. Some of my oldest memories of Salt Lake are of my dad taking me to Cosmic Airplane.