A couple months ago I "read" this book (actually it was an audio book), probably the first dude to ever read it. Why would I read a seductive story about a dreamy vampire named Edward? Let me explain. I had read in a magazine that this bestseller book received great reviews but I knew absolutely nothing about it, the series it is a part of, or the author...none the less I did enjoy
Twilight. So I was surprised to learn that the author and I share the same religious faith.
This was just another impressive instance of the numerous contributions all Mormons, the active, inactive, and ethnic, are currently making to American society and culture. Keep in mind that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints only make up one to two percent of the American population, and that is if you count the inactive members. However we are overrepresented in politics, athletics, music and who could forget the reality television.
As Newsweek explained in a recent article, "reality-TV shows are plucking contestants from an unlikely pew." Contributing their success to serving missions and large families the article noted, "Mormons aren't too hard to spot these days. In fact, so many have colonized reality TV's landscape, it's as if they've been assigned there by Brigham Young himself." Not only are have Mormons been on reality TV they have been successful. "They've won 'The Biggest Loser,'" the article continued, "'The Rebel Billionaire' and 'Survivor' (along with two second-place finishes on 'Survivor'). You can't turn on 'So You Think You Can Dance' or 'Dancing With the Stars without seeing at least one." The article finished by mentioning how close they came to winning the big one, 'American Idol.'
Now, since I have never watched a single episode of any reality TV show other than 'The Amazing Race' I'll have to take their word for it (an LDS girl I went to high school with was on that show). It's not just reality TV. On an episode of 'Law & Order' a Mormon nanny in NYC was murdered. During the episode one character said, "Mormons make the best nannies, they come from big families, don't drink or smoke, and speak English."
Of course how could you not talk about famous Mormons without mentioning Mitt. Now let me make it clear, I would never vote for this pandering buffoon because he says stuff like, "because I am concerned about the effects a Democratic president would have on terrorism I must suspend my presidential campaign." Furthermore, he is on the short-list of potential vice-president candidates for the aging McCain, which could result in a Mormon president by default. Though I am not and will never be a fan of 'Ol Mitt it is nice to see a fellow Mormon succeed. However, let us keep in mind that Harry Reid (oh, no, a Democrat, not a Republican) is the first Mormon Senate Majority Leader and the highest ever elected LDS politician.
Yep, it is a good time to be a Mormon, it's never dull anyway. Did you recently see the in-active Mormon selling a Mormon Missionary calendar of strapping young men with their shirts off? But I did stumble across the comments of scholar and Mormon Claudia Bushman, who with Richard her historian husband, spoke at the liberal arts university, Claremont College. Discussing this issue she felt Mormons are entering a Golden Age in the US. "The Shakespeares and Dantes of Mormondom will arrive on the scene, welcomed and emulated," she said and continued, "the bright young [Mormon] intellectuals...will explore new systems of thought. Fiction, poetry, and belles-lettre will flower as never before."
So, hopefully our successes will continue and our examples will prevail. And hopefully our tolerance will grow as we remember that once we leave the Mountain West we are still not the most popular people around. Regardless, it is a great time to be a Mormon.
I like concerts but we only average one every year or so. We have seen at least one concert in four different states and perhaps Just did not notice it before but I'm almost positive that Texans drink WAY MORE alcohol and smoke WAY TOO MUCH. Nothing more impressive than seeing a drunk father being carried out by his wife and 20-Something daughter or a embarrassingly drunk son constantly falling over in front of his parents. Yep, parenting at it's best.
As for this concert, it was really cool. "Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits" album was one of the first CDs I ever purchased but I have never seen them in concert so this was a dream fulfilled. They played most everything I wanted to hear including "Free Falling," "American Girl," "Learning to Fly," "Don't Come Around Here No More," "Mary Jane's Last Dance," and many others. The only two I can think of that I really wanted to hear was "The Waiting," and "You Don't Know How It Feels." It was a great concert and it made me want to watch Tom Petty doing his part-time job playing Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt on "King of the Hill."
Again, "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" were well worth engulfing ourselves in a world of drunk, smokey Texans but I told Heidi several times that since we rarely go to concerts next time were paying for better seats!
