Opus 2011-234, On the Street: People Watching

I am in Las Vegas as I write this.  As I sit in the casino a couple walk by that look like they just emerged from the senior citizens pot luck at the local Baptist church.  Who let Harry and Mabel out of Three Corners?  I was sitting at the coffee kiosk trying to do some Bible study in Sin City.  It can be done, but only if you ignore Harry and Mabel.  I made a note to come back to it and went on with my Bible study.

If you don’t gamble and have extra time it is easy to get into people watching.  There is no stereotype of Las Vegas denizen.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  Shapes and sizes makes me mindful of the spandex crowd.  Too many bodies belong to the guy who should never wear a T-shirt in public.  Some bellies are better left to the imagination because my imagination doesn’t go in that direction.  His bride is wandering around too.  She tends to think that skin tight leggings will make her look like a ballerina.  It doesn’t.  And the combination of low-cut stretch material and a push-up bra cause more nightmares than zombie movies.  I would prefer that they dressed like desert nomads not dessert nomads.

Then we have the age factor.  I am getting up there.  The kids at school keep asking me when I am going to retire.  I tell them usually around 10:00 P.M.  Some of these people look like they are so fragile that a loss at the slots will make them shatter.  I thought I was watching Sesame Street when the walking C walked by.  He was really bent over but it did not keep him from the tables.  Then I saw Burl Ives at a slot machine.  He was not winning.  I never realized how many styles of walkers, canes and electric carts existed.  It is wonderful to see how mobile people can be when they really want to get somewhere.  When I am walking through the casino I feel like the guy in a sports car on the freeway, cutting and weaving like crazy.  Don’t forget Woodstock.  You wonder where all the hippies went?  They are aging well in Las Vegas, and still resisting the barber.  Just think what it would do for our economy if all the old guys with pony-tails started getting haircuts.

Middle America is well represented.  Mr. and Mrs. Apple pie are here.  Some have brought their children and are introducing them to the things needed to dull the desire for hard work and success. 

The security guard who doesn’t look secure.  I figure there are secret ninja bouncers that are doing the real security.  Nothing I see would make much difference in a crisis.  They do seem to know where the bathrooms are.

You can’t tell a book by it’s cover, not always.  But I must say we have quite a library being checked out here in the casino.  I wonder what they think of me?

homo unius libri