Royal's Sin City Journal

Sometimes things are not exactly what they seem and sometimes they are..

 

By Royal Hopper 

 

You are pulling out of your driveway headed toward the mortgage paying destination past the International Food and Beer festival you see a car with an advertising banner on the back swerve as you pull into traffic ..He straddles the lane markers as he swerves back and forth like an absent minded ner do well who just cant make up his mind.
This goes on for several blocks until you spy one of Las Vegas finest writing a ticket to an unlucky motorist the swerving Joe as we shall call him suddenly straightens up slows down and drives with an almost painful care before taking the first turn he sees and carefully driving away from the police officer and the big stadium full of beer drinkers and food lovers.

Now it could be the driver from this car is new town and was just checking his map while he was swerving from lane to lane unable to decipher which was his turn was.

Or it could be he had such an immense respect for police officers he immediately slowed down so he could wave as he passed by and found his lane and drove straight to maintain his steady wave as he drove. Or he was drunk as a proverbial skunk. Stoned out of his freaking gourde or tripping hard on artificial joy. It could be that he drank many beers and the Beer festival and was spiking a 3.0 breathalyzer as he made his way back to his friends nearby apartment and away from one of Las Vegas finest while he was to busy writing a ticket to notice this driver was in major DUI territory.

You see a man fairly well dressed sifting through a collection of free drink and dinner coupons in a local casino. He doesnt smell. His clothes are new and his shoes unscuffed and freshly polished. His eyes clear and he carries himself like he belongs. Probably middle class and certainly not homeless. The man shuffles his feet uncomfortably and averts his eyes from your gaze. Then he spots a convention goer gift bag with some edibles and sundries and he snags it seeming to know security isn’t going to sweat a free give away bag laying on the floor on a busy night. He shrugs as you pick up another a few feet away and hand it to him as if to say “dude you have no idea the day I have had.”
Maybe he is part of a charity scavenger hunt and free stuff is on his to do list or maybe he is from some innocent land where there are no free give aways and he is so fasinated with it he has to take one home. Or maybe he has gambled away his vacation money and is trying to scrape together enough for lunch so he can use his last $20 for cab fair to the airport on his way home.

Las Vegas is what it is ..Neither Dark nor light ..Just force and money and alcohol ..fantasy and reputation…..
We have said it before but it bears repeating as we approach the spring of this new year. The City does not make your demons. It merely lets them out. Gives them sanctuary …Calls them to action _ however you want to put it . The City of Sin is a lot of things but it is not an aberation. It is us..set free of pretense ..of social camoflogue and social uniforms
It is the hangover you feel after drinking five shots all the while knowing you were past your limit at three ….It is the guilt you feel when you meet a girl named after a desert and are certain she is really into your old ass and wake up in a hotel room with most of your stuff missing and all your vacation money. Dude she half your age … and out of your league. You should have known better.

It is the guilt you feel when you have spent all you mad money and have to scrounge gift bags like a panhandler to eat lunch.

If you have a gambling problem dont come to this city genius or dont gamble more than you can afford not even a penny. If you have a drinking problem either stay home or stick to stick to coffee and tea. If you are a couple having problems for F@@ks sake dont come here. Millions of peopel come here every year have a good time and go home intact be one of them.
Sometimes life in the City of Sin..is eaxctly what it is
Love you Sinners
Take Care