A few weeks ago I met my wife's sister's husband's best friend while visiting family in Northern Utah. Andy, as we'll call him, and as everyone else calls him because that is his name, was a nice fellow who was soon to move to Ivins, Utah with his wife and son. Seeing that we probably have a great deal in common (I too have a wife and offspring) and are about to live near each other, my wife's brother-in-law went out of his way to introduce us. After talking to him for several minutes and finding him pleasant enough, my wife mentioned that I not only live in Southern Utah but I was raised there as well, specifically in St. George. Very much excited, Andy pointed out that he too was from Southern Utah, specifically Richfield. Now I find Richfield to be a pleasant enough place. The essence of its name, rich field, signifies a wealthy area, so I am all for it. But Richfield, no matter how great it is, is not in Southern Utah! (See Map Below)
At the time I did not say anything to Andy, maybe I should have. Regardless, I was immediately offended and of course have not spoken to the guy since. This conversation reminded me of an argument I had with a friend from Cedar City who also thought he was from Southern Utah. We were both out of state at a work conference and he introduced himself to a third party as "Ryan, from Southern Utah". I said, "Ryan my friend, you are from Cedar City, I am from Southern Utah." I then explained to Ryan and this third party companion that Southern Utah actually starts as one travels south on Interstate 15 down the south side of the Black Ridge where “the dirt turns red and the clouds clear”. He then explained, with similar enthusiasm, that I was a jerk or a moron and ignored me the rest of the evening. This same conversation has taken place with me several times under varying circumstances with others from Moab and Monticello.
It was not until I really thought about this most recent occurrence that I realized two very important things. One is the term "Southern Utah" is relative and means something different to me as it does to probably everyone else. One man's Southern Utah is another man's Central Utah, especially when that other man is me. I guess it was my hometown pride and the whole "Southern Utah's Dixie" talk that got me in trouble. As a map maker by profession, I can tell you that Cedar City, Monticello, and even Moab are indeed located, geographically speaking, in the Southern half of Utah. But are they "Southern Utah"? Not to me. I will always call Southern Utah home as I come south and hit the ridge and I feel like I am in Southern Utah. It is almost more a state of mind than a place I guess. The second of the two important things these experiences taught me is under no stretch of the imagination does Richfield belong in anyone's Southern Utah.
2 comments:
Hi there. I found you through Ben's blog (Ben whom I've never met), and I like your toilet paper name.
I might consider Cedar City part of Southern Utah...except that it has a lighthouse and no water around it, so it's its own entity as far as I'm concerned (like Quebec wants to be) because to have a lighthouse right there is just weird. Dixie definitely equals St. George.
When Shayne took me to St. George for the first time, I told him I'd been to "Southern Utah" for the summer games once when I was younger. I was then told that the games are in Cedar City not St. George, so I really hadn't been to Southern Utah. I must have been pretty lucky or pretty hot back then, because we kept dating and even later got married.
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