One Year as of Tomorrow

Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of my arrival in Las Vegas.  I was accompanied by Sheila.  We left Tucson after church, and drove up, arriving after nightfall had overtaken Las Vegas.  We checked in to a place on Tropicana Avenue, not knowing that we were in the underbelly of town.  Immediately we had to go to Walmart for supplies, putting up with the rude drivers originally from southern California who run red lights and go the wrong way in parking lots.  There were lots of panhandlers and illegal commercial ventures taking place.  And I was fast realizing that Bob Self was right about the whole town being a trashcan.

The rest of the week was spent arranging for a more permanent place to live and for some sightseeing.  Sheila had to return to Tucson a few days later, and I was faced with the unknown of a new job and the uncertainty that comes with a new job, as well as not having her around.  Those were not good times and I try not to think about them.

Now it's been one year.  As of tomorrow.  I wasn't sure early on that I would make it this far but I have.  I have longed for home all this time, but with the damage that has been done to this country by the politicians of both parties, I am here for the foreseeable future.  It's looking better than it did a year ago but the industry is in real trouble.

But I still don't like this place.  One of my co-workers told me that this place would grow on me.  Well, it hasn't.  Half this town is out to cheat the other half of town, and as long as visitors come here to get cheated, that's never going to change.  Legalized gambling will bring tourist traffic but it also brings problems that do not exist in other jurisdictions.  There's this libertarian streak inside of me to where I personally think that I should be allowed to gamble if I do it in moderation, but with what I've seen here in the year minus one day has me frequently wondering if we would be better off without it.  I can understand the Nevada mentality, but I feel out of place here most of the time. 

As for what the next year will bring..........I've thought about it some.......I've thought about it a lot..........and I make no predictions nor will I air what's on my mind at this time.  It is what it is, and I find myself praying a lot for the strength to deal with it.

It hasn't been all bad.  I've made some good friends here and I've gotten to work on some very neat things.  The work that I've been doing has given me some of the most satisfaction I've ever had in my career.  And I've gotten out there a few times to explore Nevada, which I think is a great state as long as you're not in Las Vegas or Reno. 

But I don't see myself as retiring here any more, and my sights on where that is has now changed.