I'm a Hippie and I'm a Mormon

Oh how I love my job...

I've been meaning to give you all an update on how my summer as a hippie is going. I've been keeping track of the most outlandish/humorous quotes and was hoping to give you a good post about them. But the conversation I had last week seemed to sorta trump the rest of the quotes. And I, like a good blogger, decided that this took priority over the rest.

So my job (and the people I work with) is pretty liberal, especially for a born and raised Utah County Mormon, like myself. Most of my coworkers are from the east and they're very...not-Mormon (sorry, couldn't think of a better way to describe it). It's been a really enlightening experience (for real) and I've learned a lot about myself and my beliefs.

However, the nature of the program doesn't really allow me to be vocal about my religion and the things I stand for (can you imagine how those parents would react if they thought I was trying to convert their kids??? Uh, yeah. No thanks) so I generally keep that stuff on the down low.

Until last week.

At the beginning of the week, we crossed an unfamiliar plant. After the girls asked what kind of plant it was, a staff informed them that it was called "Mormon Tea Plant" which spurred the girls onto a conversation about Mormons. They asked us, "Have you ever met a Mormon?" "Uh...yeah," we replied and girls dropped the subject.

But later we got a new girl from California and when she found out I was from Utah she asked if I was Mormon. "Yeah," I said. As soon as that syllable crossed my lips, the rest of the students freaked out.

"What!?! You're Mormon??? You told us you weren't!"

-->"Um. I never said that."

"So you really are a Mormon??"

-->"Yeah. I am."

"Can you cut your hair?"

-->"Yeah."

"Are you allowed to wear make-up?"

-->"Of course. And we aren't polygamists either."

"You're not? I thought..."

-->"Nope. No Mormons are polygamists."

(collectively)"Ohhhhhhh..."

"What do you believe."

-->"We're Christians. We believe in Christ."

(again, collectively)"Ohhhhhh..."

"Well, I guess now that you mention it, you do look like a Mormon."

-->"What do you mean?"

"I mean, with your braid."

(I've also been told I look Amish at work because of the braid. I'm pretty sure I'm never wearing a braid into the field again.)

One of the students was from Utah as well, although she wasn't LDS. The girls switched and started asking her questions. My personal favorite was when one girl asked her, "Do Mormons party?" She answered, "No. Well, not like we party. They play night games in their backyards." (The girl did admit that she had done it before and thought it was really fun.)

So there you go, folks. I'm a Mormon. I cut my hair when I feel like it. I wear make-up if occasion encourages (which, this summer, seems like never). And instead of getting drunk on the weekends and pounding out a box of cigarettes, I like to play Kick the Can in the neighbor's backyard and end the night with a spontaneous Slurpee run. And you know what? I don't think I'm missing out on anything. Life as a hippie has taught me that. So bring on the Ultimate Frisbee! We can grab some stack'em yogurts at Maverick when we're done.