Text by Mikala Mikrut, Copyright 2023
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What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas
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It is a slogan and advertising campaign for the city of Las Vegas, my home. This cliche has given countless tourists confidence (gall?) to act out of sorts, in ways they claim they never would at home. Our cheeky saying is constantly used as an excuse for people to be the worst versions of themselves. These people will gamble their savings away, try all sorts of drugs, and cheat on their partners. I think the slogan means well, to give a safe space for adults to let loose. But has “letting loose” always looked so destructive, or are we entering a new era of morals? Over time the cocktails, the music, the drugs, the sex all get better and and more enticing to come back to, but at what cost? The trafficking and abuse of methamphetamine is rampant. The suicide rate is higher than 80% of the rest of the country and continues to rise.
What happens here may stay here for tourists, but what about those of us who consider Sin City home? All of our secrets are left where we reside. We drink where we work, we kiss where we’re seen, we shit where we eat. It’s all convoluted in this confusing melting pot of questionable decisions and crossed boundaries. It makes me wonder if we are truly more fun or constantly coping with the fact that we are merely vehicles for “normal” people to experience entertainment, to give them the best night/weekend/week/whatever of their lives. cPeople whirl through as a way to de-stress and leave their secrets, their insecurities, their bullshit here to return home feeling refreshed and renewed and poor. We are a whole city where visitors leave their traumas in our back pockets, and we go home each night to place what we found neatly next to all the others. Thinking about you periodically, wishing you well, knowing you have already forgotten our existence but remembering how good we made you feel. Las Vegas is dependent on this toxic relationship with tourists. The entire city collapsed after the recession or even after covid for a more recent example. People are unconcerned with this place outside of what it can give them.
That’s the beauty in it all, don’t you see? A city full of invisible workers that genuinely want to give you an unforgettable experience, knowing that the credit will be misplaced. It’s a hard, selfless endeavor to bring unique memories to new crowds everyday knowing only a fraction will understand and appreciate the effort that went into every detail. If you could vacation in hell on earth, it must be here. Where else could you fry an egg on the sidewalk, get a DUI in the daylight, and see robots strip all in one day? Where else can you step on the scattered bodies of naked women while on the Strip? How magical it must be to experience some of the best service, most attractive people, and iconic views all with a swipe of some plastic. Those of us here live to serve, it is what gives us a sense of purpose, it can even feel glamorous at times, but it’s fucking lonely. Coming home every day in the service industry must be what it feels like to give everything to your children and they never say thank you. Exploitation is so heavily encouraged in Vegas settings that you have to know yourself and your strengths on an intimate level to survive here. You have to know yourself so well that you make tourists feel like they can learn something about themselves while they’re here.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas communicates freedom. You can do anything, be anyone. As long as you have money, you have power. That’s what everyone craves, right, power? Power gives you a platform, eyes. Maybe power is also your name emblazoned on the side of a hotel worth billions while your employees scrape by on tips from the oh-so-generous resort guest. Power makes your opinions heard and gives everything you do meaning. But where does true power lie? Is it in a purchased following or is it in the ability to make everyone you come into contact with feel like they are powerful?
Our slogan implies any scandalous activities that happen when one travels in a group are not to be discussed with other people afterward. Not outside of Las Vegas anyway. Which means we remember, and we talk. But don’t worry, as much as you don’t remember us, we won’t remember your name. Just your blue tequila vomit or what you’re escaping from back home. So while you get a vacation from your morals, we’ll still be here. Figuring out what ours are.
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About The Author: Mikala Mikrut is a regular contributor to Tony Ward’s blog. To access additional articles by Mikala, click here: https://tonyward.com/a-medley-of-poems/