The Utah Culture

    The Utah Culture is an odd thing. Full of good, bad and annoying! I love the standards that are kept by those who live their religion, I love that most people here know their neighbors, and interact with them often. It is an incredible place to live, with lots of many opportunities to be uplifted by others..... BUT..... I am SO tired of a lot of it as well, things other than those mentioned above!
  
    When you are a young adult woman in the Utah Culture, if you hit 21, and aren't married, and are a member of the LDS church, you are half expected to go on a mission. If you don't go on a mission, school should be finished, and finding a husband should be at the top of your list. You should be dating a lot, and doing all that you can socially to put yourself out there and find a decent man to spend eternity with.
     
    If you do go on a mission, then come home around age 23, if you aren't married by age 24 or 25, you are a pure menace to society! Singles wards are young for the most part, and although a lot of fun are like exhibits for the masses. This is where people come to meet other people, and look for a husband or wife... the fun activities and spiritual growth are just part of the process.
 
   Now, the reason that I am discussing this Culture within Utah, is because I am in the Menace to Society stage, where I am expected to find a husband. If I am not dating anyone, am not married, finished with school... etc.... I have amounted to nothing in this society which I live.
  
   No matter how much I would love to find an eternal companion, it is the 19-20 year old girls that are getting married still, and the older guys that are either afraid of commitment, or have no clue what it is! I wish that I could change the Utah culture a little bit to where guys aren't scared to ask lots of girls out. Where the men in the singles wards are actively engaged in the cause, and are striving to develop healthy relationships with women in the ward, even if they are not the one they are going to marry.
 
   Guys, I have a question for you..... What is the big deal with ONE date? or even TWO? Heaven forbid life is full of lots of dates until you find that one girl that you want to be with forever. Ask girls out. It can be cheap, just make it fun, get to know them, let them know you. Don't be afraid to develop good friendships with people of the opposite sex, even if it won't lead to marriage, the lessons learned from each other will help build character!
 
   At this point in my life, I am alright being single, I figure it will happen when it happens, but I am just annoyed with the outside pressures to be at a certain stage that I am apparently not ready for yet, otherwise it would have happened!

  I look forward to the future of having an eternal family, and putting these Utah Cultural Pressures aside, but until then, I just had to vent a little bit about the Culture that I seem to be stuck in right now in my life!