Janteloven

 

 

Janteloven is alive and well in Valley Villa.  Provo. Utah.

Let me introduce you to a Norwegian concept that I studied at the University of Minnesota some thirty years ago.

It was created by Norwegian/Danish author Aksel Sandemose. It is called “The Laws of Jante,” or in Norwegian, “Janteloven.” 

These so-called social laws are how small-town Norwegians govern their own existence and the existence of others:

• You're not to think you are anything special

• You're not to think you are as good as we are

• You're not to think you are smarter than we are

• You're not to convince yourself that you are better than we are

• You're not to think you know more than we do

• You're not to think you are more important than we are

• You're not to think you are good at anything

• You're not to laugh at us

• You're not to think anyone cares about you

• You're not to think you can teach us anything

I’m here to tell you, friends, that this noxious mindset is alive and well here in our apartment building, Valley Villa.

Just this morning, this Sabbath morning, I opened our patio blinds to find a large stuffed animal had been disemboweled on our patio – the fluff was scattered around our patio, and even stuffed inside our empty flower pots. There was not a shred of anything on adjoining ground floor patios. I don’t believe it was an animal who did this randomly. Not when so much of the stuffing was planted in our flower pots.  Some person or persons unknown deliberately did this to us.

That is only the latest petty piece of personal insult that has been offered us.

Previously when we have shared haiku poetry on our storage room door it has been defaced and anonymous hateful communications have been put up on our storage room door deriding our poetic efforts and telling us to give up and get out.

In the past anonymous persons have gone to the Valley Villa office to complain of our various, and spurious, infractions of the building rules. And we have gotten warning letters from the building management based on these false reports.

I have never hidden the fact that I spent most of my adult life as a professional circus clown. I’m proud of it. But some people are very uncomfortable about my past, and have told me so right in the building lobby.

As many of you know Amy and I delight in cooking large nutritious meals and then offering them for free to our friends and neighbors here at Valley Villa. We enjoy sharing God’s bounty with others.  But we are saddened that some people have gone about spreading rumors that our food is tainted, even poisoned. We have heard it said that we are charging money and making a profit on our free community meals. We are not. And never have. And never will.

It seems obvious to me that because Amy and I express our creativity openly and often in many different ways (including my latest creation of “Poet for Rent”) and because we have a very special and vibrant love story that is probably unmatched in the annals of Church history, mean and petty minds have decided we are persona non grata here at Valley Villa. We don’t fit in. And should be encouraged to either keep quiet and learn our place or leave.

Well, I, for one, would be glad to leave.  In fact, I will be making inquiries on how to get a mortgage on a small house where Amy and I can live without any further mean-spirited persecution from our pygmy neighbors. Lacking that, we will be looking at other apartment buildings to move into. The bottom line is that I, personally, want to get the hell out of this despotic, narrow-minded, warehouse for simpletons and the narrow-minded.

Having said all that, I must add that we have received some gracious and gratifying messages from a few of our neighbors here at Valley Villa from time to time.  I do not wish to discount them.  But that does not alter the fact that I want to take Amy and I somewhere free of Janteloven. I am willing to admit that perhaps the Lord wants us to stay on here at Valley Villa, doing what good we can. But honestly, I’m gonna need a pretty clear sign from heaven to believe that.  Amy says it more succinctly, and faithfully:  “If we’re meant to leave here we will find a way to finance it. If not, then the Lord means for us to stay.”

Amen.

 

 

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I have received numerous posts in response to the above Janteloven personal essay. Here they are, verbatim:

 

So sorry to hear you have been treated so horribly. As we all know, that jealous people and those that have sad lives, enjoy making others suffer. The building I live in, Cascade Gardens has had It's share of rumors, etc.

I have enjoyed reading your poetry and the different meals you prepare each day. Because of my situation, I'm not able to come enjoy the meals as I would like to.

I pray that God guides you to find a home that he knows is the right fit for you.

He has guided me to find a place that will be shared with my youngest daughter because she is having a hard time paying rent because of circumstances that have made financial obligations hard to pay.

As we both know, God will always take care of you.

My heart was warmed to hear of how you and Amy got back together.

 

 

 

Whoa, Samson, I do not feel I should be included in the simpleton or narrow minded category. You know I do not leave my apartment not only because I really cannot, but, because I do not want to be included in the annals of the foyer gossips, those fountains of misinformation. I am grateful for the food you make that is sent my way, though, sometimes I do want to give you a few of my cookbooks. (Have to get rid of them before I die as my kids do not want them and have told me they will end up being thrown away, that breaks my heart, so if you want some, come get them). I am sorry you are feeling the brunt of this, but, remember, nearly everyone here lives alone and has nothing to do but gossip and talk, I do believe that if there were things to do here, that this might put a large dent in the chatter. There is no bingo, community dance

 

 

 

 

Sorry to hear you are having problems with your neighbors!

Makes living there hard, hope you find a friendly place to live.

Billy 

 

 

 

Dear Tim and Amy:

I am deeply pained over the bad treatment you are receiving in your place of residence. At the same time I admire you for the goodness of your lives and your generosity toward others. In my view if you move away the ill willed folks win. Hang in there! Keep on keeping on. Keep being the noble people that you are. Blessings!

LRC