The City That Needs a Good Nap

Las Vegas is the only place I know where money really talks—it says, “Goodbye.”

FRANK SINATRA

Recently, I was given the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for a conference. It was the first time I had ever been there, and I was extremely excited. Unfortunately, I did have to go by myself, but I convinced myself that I would have a good time in this locale often referred to as Sin City. This was something I had looked forward to, in some form or fashion, my entire life. You always hear stories of Vegas and how ‘wonderful’ it is – the drinking, gambling, and the debauchery. I loved watching movies like Bugsy, 21, and of course The Hangover (just the first one). I am not saying that it was my goal to live like the actors in the film, but there was something intriguing about each of the characters and their experiences. I actually remember walking by the Bellagio and thinking about robbing the place much like Danny Ocean, but I realized this would be a mistake; I had not had time to properly plan. But, here it was, my time in Vegas, my time to channel my inner Sinatra.

I remember flying over the city and seeing the Strip; it is not as glamorous as I would have thought, but I was looking forward to it all the same. I landed, made it to my hotel, and started my Hangover experience…ok, I took a short nap. But, I needed to because I was going to really live it up after that.

I also recall how my friends and I used to talk about the possibility of going to Vegas and all the trouble we would get into. We would spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars gambling, drinking, and going to certain gentlemen’s clubs. Scoff all you want, we were 21 years old. We were going to do everything we could to have the same experience as Mikey and Trent in Swingers, because, after all, we were ‘money’ (in our humble opinions). We would hit every casino, be treated like high rollers, visit the aforementioned “clubs”, and never sleep. This was our time. Well, we never made it to Vegas during this time in our lives, and we never got this chance – this is probably a good thing in hindsight.

Now, you are probably wondering where the “parenting” connection is in all of this. After all, this is what I write about. Well, here it is. All the adolescent goals I just mentioned were nowhere to be found. My time as a dad has taught me many things, the greatest of which is responsibility. The thousands of dollars I was going to spend on booze and tables turned into allotting myself $100 and stretching my per diem as much as humanly possible. I am pretty sure I literally had 3 alcoholic beverages over the course of 3 days…and they were free. As far as the “clubs” were concerned – I really just wanted to find a nice place to eat dinner. And not once did I stay up past 11:00; after all, that was the time I usually went to bed at home.

I did not feel the need to blow money on slot machines because I knew that money could be used on ridiculous stuffed animals with Las Vegas t-shirts. I did not feel the need to drink myself into a stupor because I really did want to learn at the conference. And, I did not get the inclination to visit one of the “clubs” because I love my family. As I walked along Las Vegas Boulevard, looking at the young gentleman asking for change on the sidewalk (his sign mentioned that he was looking for a Sugar Momma), the girls dressed in classic show girls attire, or the ladies that were “dressed” in substantially less attire, I kept asking myself, “What does their dad think?” I know this could be a sensitive area for some parents, but this is the way I see it. I know that the circumstances that have befallen these individuals are unknown and I am not one to judge, but there are questions that arise.

It is not my place to judge these individuals, and I assure you that is not my intention. I have no idea how they got where they are, whether it be by an unfortunate state of affairs or conscious decisions. But, this is how I have changed. I am a dad, and that is how I think. Gone are the days of depravity and impetuousness. Now are the days of responsibility and accountability, to my wife and to my kids. Whereas I used to think “VEGAS, BABY!”, I now find myself looking forward to Branson and the Memphis Zoo. Seriously? Seriously.