The Vegas conflict

It’s been a week. Lindsay reminded me this afternoon that it was a week ago that we got to the pool for the start of our friend’s wedding weekend. She also mentioned that she very well still may be hung over from that weekend. I, for one, am still feeling the effects. It took until Wednesday to snap out of it, but the residuals still remain. Whoosh, three days and two nights in the City of Sin will do this to you, or to me at least. But as the dust settles, and the headaches subside, there is still the question that stays with me that I couldn’t help but take notice of yet again while I was there – what the eff is up with this place?

I’ve been to Vegas a handful of times. I’ve stayed in old school rat pack hotels, crazy “wizard chasing a princess thru a casino” hotels, and outlandish jumping out of fountains 10 feet into the pool hotels. I prefer the latter. Each time, while certainly different experiences, the result is the same –am I a Vegas person? I know, I know, “VEGAS!!” But really, do I need to take it to the desert to enjoy myself at this level? For those that know me, I can have an amazing time in a cardboard box, so the allure of “breaking loose” doesn’t resonate with me. Gambling? Meh, I enjoy a few hold-em tourney’s with friends but I’m not setting aside 2G’s for tables, especially now that I don’t smoke. Oh the smoke. I’m not sure what’s worse, the constant “dingdingdingdingdingdingdingding,” or the fumes of cigar and Newports when you’re walking to or from your room. Dinners? Yeah, I imagine the restaurants are a draw if you don’t live in a metropolitan area where you can find these. And the shows, while admittedly I haven’t seen a show there (other than Phish, Halloween ’98), can also be found in your city of choice.

A friend who I was with this weekend had the same sentiments as the above, but also brought it down to a level of concern. How much of an enabler is Vegas and at what point should we be concerned? He mentioned that together we probably make more than 90% of the people in the casinos, but yet we’re doing the least gambling. Of note, I guess I never realized how much this guy made! But point taken –should we be concerned with the “type” of money that’s being brought into Vegas? The classic question, am I finally my brother’s keeper and at what point does it affect my fellow citizens? The allure, the craziness, the ability to walk care-free on the floor without regard for others in your path. Is this what we agree to when coming to Vegas? We agree that there is money being spent here that shouldn’t be? We recognize this and we agree that we’re ok with this? We understand that there are individuals that are here who are splitting 10’s, but have no regard for the immediate concerns of family life like paying the bills?

Of course there is the other side of Vegas and it’s the side I chose to defend during the “Vegas is bad for my soul” debate. There are good, moral, responsible people that LOVE Vegas. They get up in the morning and go to work each day. They pay their bills on time and wait for those couple of days a year when they can head to the desert oasis to enjoy and reward themselves for the work they’ve put in. There are the families who make a yearly guys trip out of it. Fathers, uncles, cousins, friends. A bonding experience at the least and ultimately an excuse to get everyone together and enjoy themselves. Then there are the couples that truly love the experience. They live in the metropolitan cities but still feel the buzz from the pools, restaurants and shows. They may gamble a bit, but it’s only one aspect of the whole.

So where do I net out, am I Vegas person? I think the answer to that easily is no. I would find it very difficult to stay there more than two nights which is all I’ve been able to hack to date. I do, however, not have a problem with Vegas. During this 4th of July weekend, and in the patriotic spirit, Vegas is as American as it gets! Talk about a melting pot, it’s all there. And the foreign tourists? There are a ton who are making trips to America and checking out Vegas. Why wouldn’t you, VEGAS!!! right?
Oh, and one more thing that I noticed while I was sitting at Cleopatra’s barge next to an older retired couple. When I’m that age and need a place to act the fool like I did in my 20’s and 30’s, I’m booking a ticket to Vegas –but just a night or two.