Good-bye to Being a Polite Member of Society

It's amazing how a conversation with a friend can jump-start your writing.

My friend Natalie is a Mormon who doesn't exactly fit the mold. After we went to a movie tonight, I found myself so engaged by our hour long conversation in her car, I couldn't even sleep before writing.

I learned that Natalie goes to church regularly and doesn't drink alcohol or coffee, but she sees her religion as a guideline for living, not as the One and Only True Church. Natalie strikes the perfect balance between someone who combines the strength of religion with her own inner strength. She accepts a non-Mormon like me, not out of forced effort to be nice, but because she understands me.

I have not felt this understood by a Mormon before in my life. It encouraged me to make Mormonism a major facet of my book. How do I write a book about new experiences in Utah and not mention Mormons? It's like pretending the proverbial white elephant isn't in the room. Some of my new experiences even directly involve the Mormon Church, so I can't tiptoe around it.

In my first manuscript, I tried to make it readable to both Mormons and non-Mormons. My problem is I've tried so hard to please both sides, I edited out many of my thoughts and emotions. My boldness made my year successful (sometimes I still feel shocked by what I did). Ironically, I wrote my manuscript of this bold adventure with timidness, afraid of being too open, too offensive, too honest.

In order for my book to be successful, I need to rewrite it with the same honesty I lived it. To the best of my knowledge, no one has written a book about doing something new every week for a year, but this story also explores what it's like to do that while living in a religious bubble. Even though I am not Mormon, I am far from being untouched by Mormonism. Mormon culture plays a bigger role, specifically the culture in northern Utah, which, if you don't know, is really, really Mormon! I'm not making any judgement on that. I will say that when you have friends who will stand in front of a tv censoring the kissing scene of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, then someone who decided to step far, far outside that bubble didn't do it without wondering whether anyone who reads her book will decide she's a freak.

In many ways, I owe this book to living in this culture. If I had been very worldly, perhaps a book of new experiences wouldn't be as eye-opening. Considering I grew up with even PG movies under the radar and had never even tasted a Pepsi or Coke (because Mormonism discourages caffeinated drinks), well now you have quite the story!

The only problem is I didn't feel comfortable telling it. And I know not everyone will be as compassionate as Natalie.

I'm afraid I'm just going to have to be offensive and leave it at that.