Rick Cassels

I recently posted that I missed Vegas and received some feedback that sort of missed my point. So here are a few reasons why I miss Vegas.

1. Race. I want to say race is invisible, but that's almost completely opposite of what is true. The differences in race are celebrated and accepted. Going to a function at my kids school was like going to a UN meeting. Every tribe and tongue present. Diversity is a great thing. I miss that.

2. Laid Back. It's the west coast. People are chill. I miss that.

3. Close to Cali. 4 hours and you're in the middle of LA. I miss that.

4. History. Not like D.C. history, but history nonetheless. The transition of Vegas from railroad to the Mob to Howard Hughes to the casino corporations is fascinating. I miss that.

5. In 30 minutes or so you can be at Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, Lake Mead, or Hoover Dam. All very cool places. I miss that.

6. Fresh & Easy and Trader Joes.

7. Finally, it's Vegas baby! So much to see and do. In two years, we saw The Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Phantom of the Opera, O, UFC 92, Blue Man Group, UNLV Football, UFL championship game, and U2. For free! It's good to know great people.

It's incomplete list for sure. But these are a few things I miss about Vegas. What do you love about Vegas?

It's January 2, 2012 and I'm in limbo, sorta. When the calendar rolled over onto 2010, I was working at a church that was going through profound pain and change and dealt with it by cutting off it's nose to spite it's face. Unfortunately, I was the nose. I spent a year in limbo in Vegas, working hard and going broke. After a year of that, we packed up and headed home.

I never thought I'd sell cars, although I've been intrigued by it for a long time. As it turns out, I can sell cars. Very well in fact. So well that I have wondered if the money I can make will anesthetize my soul.
But the more I think about that, I believe it's a cop out. The only thing that will anesthetize my soul is my continued willingness to harbor sin and rebellion in my life.
I'm beginning to think that limbo is really just a state of mind and not necessarily a reality. It's really the culmination of "bloom where you're planted". It's just weak to think that I have to change my circumstances to change me. Maybe when I change me, then my circumstances will change as a result.

So there you have it - I'm all about changing stuff this year. But it starts with me.

Last week, Terri and I went to see "The Help". Upon entering the theater, I was hit with a scent that strongly reminded me of the Aromatherapy that they pump into the Venetian in Las Vegas to relax you and mask the cigarette smell. I was quickly corrected by my wife, that it was not Vegas Aromatherapy, but rather old lady perfume. As I scanned the room, I estimated the almost full theater to be roughly 90% women over the age of 60. It was like the Luby's train had jumped the tracks and landed in a matinee. I settled in and the movie started soon enough.

 

It was a chick flick.

It was American History.

It was funny.

It was sad.

It was great.

 

It was supposed to be a telling of racism in the deep south through the 1960's. And it was. But it made me think about how much (or little) progress has been made since then. Certainly, progress has been made, but is it enough? Or really, is it even a good enough effort? I still catch myself using race as a descriptor when speaking about a person of color, i.e. "my black friend" or "that Indian dude" or "the chinese guy that I can't understand". Truth is I NEVER say, "my white friend" or "that guy of French-Huegonot descent" or any other phrase about someone being Caucasian. 

 

Why the double standard?

 

I do believe that these issues are global in nature but more obvious in places like East Texas. One of things I liked about living in Las Vegas was the more  culturally blended society, in which race and culture were celebrated, not diminished.

 

So what about you? What can you do to influence the culture to be more focused on who we are and not who we aren't?

 

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. - MLK 1963

 

I have four little children as well, and they are watching me to see how and why I love people. They're watching you too.

I really like this band. Ever heard of them?

I saw Sammy Hagar with Night Ranger in Dallas almost 30 years ago. Sammy Hagar is 63 now. 63.

I have this love/hate relationship with social media, so in the spirit of past e-schizophrenia I'm back. At least for a while. I may have some things to write about that aren't really Facebook status' nor Twitter tweets, so I think that my old Posterous account may actually be what I need. I'll be back soon enough.