So few words, so much controversy

Well, this last weekend I have been lambasted with emails regarding my "about me" section of my blog. Apparently, my statements have ticked off some folks. I thought I would take a moment and try to weed out the misconceptions regarding my statements:

First, I do love living in Utah. It does possess some challenges however. Most of those challenges may not be easily seen by those who live in the state and/or are a member of the predominant faith. I will give you a 99% guarantee that when I speak to people from outside Utah they will always ask, "so are you Mormon?" My statement of "No, I am not Mormon" is a pre-response to the always constant question from those folks. It does become a rather tiresome question. My statement was a way for me to say "Hey I love living in Utah, and.....I'm not Mormon!" Most people believe that only Mormons live here, and that they would be the only people that would want to live here. I, not of the Mormon religion, wanted people to see that isn't the case.

Second, boy did this tick some folks off. My sister wives statement. Again, this is a statement regarding assumption and jokes that are made about Utah and people who live here. Polygamy is a part of the Mormon church's past, and still sticks around like a thorn in the side of the church through the actions of the FLDS and other polygamous groups that claim Joseph Smith as their prophet. It is a delicate subject. However, one does tire of the jokes to my husband about how he gets "it" every night by all his different wives, wink wink. It is an unfortunate aspect of the church's history, but I think it would be extremely naive of people of the faith to think that it should be shoved under the rug and forgotten about. There are people out there that truly do believe that everyone in Utah is polygamous. Believe me, I have met them.

The drinking a beer statement. Yes, even though most members do not imbibe, those of us that choose to, do and can. There is a misconception that you can't get a drink in this town. Not true. I am no lush, but occasionally on a hot summer evening, a nice cold beer tastes pretty darn good. And surprise, you can get a great beer here that was made locally! Enough said.

Finally, my statements were not religious in nature. They were not meant to be offensive to anyone. They were "about me!" I love living in Utah, No I am not Mormon and have no sister wives, yes I like to have an occasional beer. I was answering the very common questions to the outsider that may not understand why one, who is not Mormon, would live here. That is all. The unfortunate aspect of it is that one cannot make a comment about the culture here without making a comment about the religion. The two are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate them. That can become a problem when your culture (my culture) does not mesh with the Mormon faith. I am truly an open person, and believe a person has the right to pursue their faith as they see fit. I would be the last person who would tell someone what to think or believe.

In response to the overwhelming criticism, I will remove my statements. They are just words to me, but it has become obvious that they mean much more to others.