How I Survived Vegas

It is currently about 1 am in Vegas. That puts us at about 3 am Kansas-time. Oh Vegas, I can honestly say I have very mixed feelings about you.

So my highlights of the trip: people watching, random free 80's concerts on Fremont Street, Fremont Street in general (waaaay classier than The Strip), the rollercoaster, Bellagio fountains, seeing Pee Wee Herman, Optimus Prime, Elvis and Ozzy all hang out on the street together, $1 frozen strawberry margaritas, and last but not least getting some quiet time in The Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer. Oh that last one was good. : )

But just let me say, I knew Vegas was Sin City and a little crazy, but it is waaaay crazier than I had imagined! This Vegas trip was a 5 day extravagaza with my Dad, sister Kamo and her husband Ryan. We also met up with a couple of Ryan's friends. And after the first day and a half I was pretty much ready to go home. Don't get me wrong it was fun but holy cow it was just so hectic. I mean I can only gamble so much and only drink so many strawberry margaritas before I am done. I was really starting to feel "heavy" after a day and a half in this atmosphere.

In Vegas' defense I will say I do often times find it harder to maintain my normal prayer routine while not at home. But it was actually really getting to me. It was Saturday and I was thinking I don't know if I can wait until Sunday. lol So while everyone else went to the pool, I went walking. I wanted to find the church I was going to attend mass at on Sunday and time how long it took for me to get there. It was a little over a mile away. It ended up taking me about 40 minutes just to walk there. That should tell you how hectic it is here and how long it takes to walk anywhere. Then it also started to rain on me. In the desert. But I finally made it!

Needless to say, although I hadn't intended to go to mass this day, I ended up staying for and hour and a half before the 4 o'clock mass. Just imagine being surrounded by the constant ringing of the slots, the blaring music, dancing girls, men handing out x-rated photos to EVERY passing person on the street, people out of control, people drinking straight from hard liquor bottles, and seeing kids take all these sights in. And then imagine how good walking into a holy place felt for me. It was peaceful and quiet and exactly what I needed.

Now don't get me wrong.....this is where my mixed feeling come in. Those things seem horrible and it sounds like I had a horrible time. But really I didn't. But I did find myself struggling more with things. I felt myself weaken.

Take the dancing girls for example. They are usually right by the poker tables in just about every casino. They come out in the later hours of the evening. They wear almost nothing and just dance. I guess these are a new addition because my Dad told me they weren't here last time he was in Vegas.

Now I have never been to a strip club. But I totally felt like I was in one at times. It was crazy to watch the people watching these girls. These girls were beautiful. But I couldn't help but wish that people would stop staring at them. You would look around the casino and they would captivate the attention of men, women, and yes even a couple of children. Sometimes it was even hard for me to look away. Me. Wait, what? It was just so strange. I wanted to let them know that this job that they had isn't what makes them beautiful. So I don't know really where I am going with this little ramble but to say.......

Vegas puts everything to the extreme. Excessive gambling. Excessive eating. Excessive drinking. Excessive temptations. Unless you can control it. And I believe that you can have a perfectly fun time and not overdo it. However, when you surround yourself with things that naturally tempt you, you will find it is a very hard battle to win. You may find that it weighs you down. Plus, if you are in an environment, you will get the good and the bad from just being there. So even if you don't want to partake in paying money for a hooker, you will see the nude cards of the girls scattered all over the sidewalks. You aren't immune to these things.

The same goes for life in general. We are a product of what we put into our bodies. What we read, where we go, who we hang out with. This all matters. This concept reminds me of a book I read while out here in Vegas called The Traveler's Gift. It was about a man, who after a car crash, visited 7 different people in history that then provided him with Seven Decisions that could help turn his life around and impact the people in his life tremendously. It was a pretty good read. Here is the second decision he was given:

I will seek wisdom.

It talks about choosing the right things to immerse yourself in to bring positive change for you and your relationships. It talks about choosing the right friends. I liked this part:

"If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar to great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly."

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.

The book also had a few good stories that I think will be useful to share with my FFA officers at retreat!

So yes, Vegas, you area nice place to visit. But I will sure be happy to get home tomorrow and then get to adoration that night! : )