I am not a world traveler by any stretch of the imagination but I’ve been in several cities throughout the United States. I really like Boston and I am always awestruck by the mammoth size and “busy-ness” of New York City as well as it’s cultural diversity. Washington D.C. has so much history I could spend weeks there and still only take half of it all in. But one city that literally makes my gut ache and my spirit sad is Las Vegas.
I usually end up in Vegas a couple of times a year because of business and I simply dread it. I’ve conditioned myself to stay on eastern time when I am out there and usually go to bed around 9pm. I get up around 5am, put on my armor of God (morning prayer and devotion) strengthen myself mentally (go for a 6 mile run on the strip) and go to as many business meetings I can, no matter how boring they are. Vegas is not a good place for a person in recovery to be. In fact I don’t know if it is a good place for anyone to be.
Up until this last weekend, I was the only person in my family to experience Vegas. My 25 year old son went out with some friends and I’ve copied his email to me below. This email makes me feel awfully proud as I cannot imagine what I would have done in Vegas when I was 25 years old…in fact I can imagine and thank God for not letting me go there.
So, I was able to live the 21st century’s version of Sodom and Gomorrah this past weekend. I’ve never been in a place that so aggressively turns its back on the moral fiber that has held our society together for centuries. If it’s a sin that has ever been thought about, it’s available in Vegas; and it’s not only available but it’s celebrated. I can’t understand how an action in one place that would be so heavily shunned can be so glorified somewhere else. Prostitutes being advertised on billboards, pamphlets, tv, radio etc as if they were advertising for a local steak house. You couldn’t walk more than 30 feet without being solicited for sex, or a ride to the strip club or brothel. Women, although beautiful, were competing with each other to prove who could show the most skin without showing it all. Alcohol and drugs were the norm and if you weren’t heavily sedated, you were not having fun. Finally; everyone was trying to make a buck at your expense. Money ran everything there. There was such an excess of money being spent on lavish and meaningless things I felt guilty just being there. The fact that so much money could be spent on things like that and not on people who truly need it made me ashamed to be part of it.
Finally, the worst part about Vegas was how everyone was so in to themselves. The sins of vanity and selfishness ruled the atmosphere in Vegas. As long as you were getting yours, there was no consequences. I feel like all other things can be forgiven, but this sin, putting yourself above God, put Vegas over the edge. There was blatant disregard for ‘others’ and commandment number 1 was thrown out the door. Everyone was their own god and it was scary.
I’m sure there were good people there just having fun, but the fact that all these sins were so accepted and that moral law was thrown out the door was unbelievable. Somehow things have changed so much and a universal moral agreement among Vegas-goers which throws conventional thought out the window has been made so that people can have a place to sin and not feel bad since everyone else there says it’s ok. I mean, if everyone else is doing it, why should I feel so bad, right?
Bottom line: I hated Vegas.
Love,
Jason
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!