A Blog Composed a Few Miles above the Provo Tabernacle

Two days have past; no summer days with the length
Of two long winter days! and again I hear
The music, alpine horns from their mountain-tabernacle

OK the reference to the romantic poetry from William Wordsworth is over. If you're not an English major, you're probably like what the chicken* is he talking about? Except you wouldn't be using cockney rhyming slang to ask it. The Provo Tabernacle was my second favorite building in Provo after the building that reminds me of the castle from Super Mario (and that is saying a lot, well it's saying something anyway). So the Provo Tabernacle burned "down" as you might have heard. It has had structural issues from the very get go. How many times is this place going to be condemned before someone actually dies from roof collapse?

But we can't just tear down the remains. That would be righteously lame. So very lame. As Senator Hatch said, "The Provo Tabernacle was about more than mere bricks and mortar; it was an enduring symbol of the city and of the faith and fortitude of those early Utah pioneers. Fire may have destroyed the building, but it will never tarnish their proud legacy." True but the way he talks, you would think he was delivering its eulogy.

So our option is to rebuild the structurally-unsound building that has been renovated multiple times due to condemnation, or remember it fondly in our hearts like a distant great aunt twice removed on our mother's side, who died of either consumption or some kind of chicken disease but you're too embarrassed to ask anyone at wake to make sure it's not a genetic epidemic. Still that won't stop you from diving head first into those funeral potatoes. Does somebody really need to die for potatoes to taste this good (silver lining)?

My point, believe it or not, is that we have a third option not involving either dangerous building code violations or delicious funeral potatoes. The city should just leave up what's left. Just leave it there. But there's no roof, you say. Yes thank goodness. A roof can't fall down if you ain't got one to drop. There is a really famous "abbey" in ye Olde England called Tintern Abbey that is basically just ruins (click on this link and look at every image). And it is so awesome. I look forward to the day I get to visit it. It has a few walls and that is basically it. And it is totally awesome. And people come from all over the world to see it. We should let nature take its course. The Provo Tabernacle will still have its brick and mortar (not the stuff that burns though: that's all gone) and nobody has to say goodbye to an old friend because it will still be there (sorta).

I really think it's about time Utah got into the habit of making some beautiful ruins of its own.

*chicken: coop: poop