May 2014 Archives

Today I talked to a friend about how, since she has moved to Utah, she has found herself revisiting both her Mormon upbringing and her disaffection from the church.

She said she hadn't been able understand why some people were still concerned with the church, still talked about it, still participated in forums discussing or criticizing it. Sure, it was super messed up, but she'd left that behind. She had more important things to worry about than the stupid things she used to believe in her youth. The church had no effect on her now.

And then she moved to Utah, where her parents and several siblings live. And after a while, she not only listened politely, nodded, then changed the subject when people talked to her at parties about their relationship to Mormonism, she initiated conversations on the topic herself.

I get it. I always cared about my own Mormon past but for a very long time--well over a decade--I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to church-related current events. Why would I pay attention? They didn't affect me.

Then I moved to Utah, and now they do affect me.

Here's a photo that showed up in my Facebook feed last week:

I don't know if it's photoshopped or real graffiti, but I do know exactly where the building is: East Sixth Street and North Euclid Avenue in Tucson.

I even have my own picture of it:

I also have a picture where I'm grinning and flipping it off, but I'd rather not publish that here.

You just want to write a shitty first draft. The shittiest first draft on paper is superior to the most perfect first draft in your head.

Think of it as evolution. You just have to get it to the mammal stage the first time around. Actually it just has to have four legs and not swim in the water. So once you get your draft out of the primordial ooze and onto dry land, then you can take the time you need to turn it into a primate.