After my column on gripes (which I promised would come just once a year), a woman reader called up to say this: "IF YOU LIKE BOSTON SO MUCH, WHY DON'T YOU GO BACK?"
I am properly humbled. In my defense I offer this: I really did mean the criticisms to be constructive, AND anyone who doubts my dedication to Utah should talk to my kids. Apparently, I say enough at the dinner table about the positive aspects of living in Salt Lake City that my kids think I'm insufferable.So today I submit my honest opinions about why Salt Lake City is a great place to live, all of which have been previously expressed to my kids in the most obnoxious way possible (in their view).
- The weather is fantastic. In summer there is a lot of sun and essentially no humidity, and in winter the snow is pretty and is not immediately made dirty and ugly by rain.
- The freeways are accessible and easily traveled, with very few jams, and the drivers are infinitely more courteous and civilized than Eastern ones, especially those in Boston.
- Parking is a dream. It is possible on virtually any night of the week to travel easily into downtown Salt Lake City and get a good parking place on the street or, on busy nights, in a parking lot or garage at a very reasonable rate. This makes it simple to take in a cultural event, much better than anything I ever experienced in Boston.
- The grid system is wonderful. I like the straight streets, the numbering system and the ease with which I can find anything, until I get to Sandy. The streets are also wide, meaning that traffic problems are much less irritating. Brigham Young had a good head on his shoulders. (Let's keep it there!)
- Downtown Salt Lake City is clean and pretty and very pleasant to visit at virtually any time of the day. It does not have a dangerous flavor. It gives at least the illusion of safety.
- The people are amazingly friendly, and it even seems sincere. People you don't know talk to you freely and there is no fear for your life. Most seem happy and optimistic. This is especially true at the Deseret News, where people are bright, cheerful and appreciative. I am not kidding!
- The views of the Salt Lake Valley from just any vantage point are breathtaking. I live close to Big Cottonwood Canyon, and the view of the valley from there is just great, especially at night. I love to wake up to the mountains on the east, too. And I love driving along Wasatch Boulevard, with the striking mountains on one side and the incredible valley view on the other.
- The canyons are awesome, great for recreation or to stare at. I always loved the canyons as a kid, and I'm very happy now to have them literally in my back yard.
- Our house is a good, solid Utah brick rambler with a floor plan I love. Once we correct some of its current problems it should be essentially maintenance free. Much different from our New England home!
- Our neighborhood is pleasant, friendly and helpful. You can put Christmas lights on your house or on the trees in the front yard without fear of vandalism.
- This is essentially a smoke-free society. Only occasionally do I end up next to a smoker in a restaurant or on an escalator. Since I suffered a great deal from second-hand smoke in the East, this is a very pleasant change. In Boston I attended some neighborhood meetings at homes that were so smoke-filled that I could smell it in the night air on the way home, then had to put all my clothes in the wash. Yuuk!
So there it is - my disgustingly drippy testimonial to the quality of life in Utah. I came back of my own free will, and I have not been sorry. At the same time, I think that we can improve on anything, and we should not be so sensitive about our culture that we can't stand an occasional constructive suggestion.
So I'll try to soft-pedal my Boston references in the future if you will remember that the majority of my life's experiences in the past 20 years occurred there. And the next time I make any kind of critical comment about the culture we both love, try to remember that my heart is in the right place.