About a year ago, I moved across the country. I knew leaving Salt Lake City for Washington, DC was going to bring a whole lot of changes: fewer Mormons, more traffic, way higher cost of living. What I wasn’t expecting to happen was how movies wouldn’t be a thing out here.
I drop movie quotes and references in everyday speech all the time. Back in SLC, coworkers, friends, and family could follow right along. We all spoke the language. Out here? Well, one can only get so many blank stares in return to realize they might as well be speaking Klingon.
An example: At work, I am building a new data warehouse. I am trying to get all different departments to agree with how we define certain terms and data points so we can have one version of the truth rather than truth depending on different points of view.
“We can’t be like Obi Wan.”
Blank stares.
“You know, ‘So, what I told you was true, from a certain point of view.’ No? Nothing? Okay, moving on.”
Another example: “Hey, did you guys see the trailer to (insert upcoming blockbuster here)? It looks really cool.”
“They are making that?”
“Moving on.”
And yet another:
When a coworker saw my poster of the OUTATIME license plate from Back to the Future, she asked, “Oh, are you from California or something?”
“…Moving on.”
Being able to talk movies may be a small thing, but I really miss it. It’s one more thing about living out here that makes me feel out of place.
Leave a Reply