“Good Morning, Vietnam!”

October 23, 2014 at 11:42 am · Filed under Uncategorized

No, I’m not talking about the film with the late and great Robin Williams, for those of you old enough to remember…

This morning I was walking my dog down one of my favorite, beautiful tree-lined streets and saw an elderly man approaching. He was waddling along reflectively, cane in hand. As he drew closer, I saw his hat read, Vietnam Veteran so I said, “Good Morning…thank you for your service!” To which he replied, “You’re welcome.”

This small exchange sent my mental wheels reeling. A few steps past him I thought about who he was, how old was he when he served? Was he fulfilled with his life? Did he feel appreciated for his service?

Every day we walk around so blessed to be living in a free and fortunate country, yet many of us only think about who helped us get there on designated holidays like Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day. No scolding or “Better Than Thou Syndrome” here- just honest reflection on how we (myself included) should stay informed on what our current military is doing to uphold the social justice of all. And most of all, to count our blessings every day for those who have served, do serve and continue to protect our most basic human rights.

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Viva Las Vegas

October 15, 2014 at 1:32 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

“For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.”- Tich Nhat Hanh

I won’t lie. I’ve never been fond of Vegas. My first trip was in 1996. I was 18 (which means I looked about 12-I’m part Asian) and it was a last minute road trip from the Hollywood Hills escorted by a very eccentric Persian (probably no longer a politically correct term). We stayed at Circus Circus; I remember our carpet was worn and stained and it was back when we actually carried buckets of quarters around for the slots. My youthful appearance got us kicked out after about 15 minutes in the casino.

Many years later, while building my career as a Public Relations professional, I returned several times for work conventions with stints at the Rio, Venetian and Caesar’s. The corruption and inherent, blatant escapism coupled with work-related exhaustion turned me off every time.

Now in my 30s, the overwhelming desire to see Cirque Du Soleil’s The Beatles Love show led me back to Sin City and to a trip of epic proportions which included comped treats like a penthouse on the 62nd floor of Mandalay Bay (your ears popped coming down the elevator and you had to text your girlfriends in the west wing-first world problems!), skybox concert, pool cabana beds and “Crazy Girls” longest running cabaret show in the run-down but historical Riviera….The old hotels provide the most entertaining and fascinating characters like the two Hunter S. Thompson-esque British guys who rode up on beeping motor carts hollering, “Hello, MiLadies!” complete with top hats, cigars and a bottle of Jameson in one of their front baskets.

And (The Beatles) Love. Like dreaming with your eyes open. It was hard to hold back the tears during “Because” and “Hey Jude.” The level of creativity, artistry and passion for performance elevated my level of respect for the antithesis of the Vegas underbelly I’d grown used to seeing over years past.

Per usual with my blog, thoughts often trail back to Buddhist wisdom (like the quote from brilliant Tich Nhat Hahn above). In this case, this trip makes me think about how we often misjudge people, places and things based on preconceptions or temporal experiences; it’s also interesting how experiencing a place or person from a new perspective, different age/stage in life, or even with a  separate group of people can impact point of view. Not sure how soon I will return to Vegas with a trip that will be difficult to outdo, but it has shown me that loosening judgment and giving things a chance to “show” their complete nature is a truly worthwhile endeavor.

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