Life in the Dish

On the Jukebox: "Heaven or Las Vegas" by Cocteau Twins
Quote: "The night before I left Las Vegas I walked out into the desert to look at the moon. There was a jeweled city on the horizon, spires rising in the night, but the jewels were diadems of electric and the spires were the neon of signs ten stories high. " ~ Norman Mailer
Flair: Cut-rate Babylon

Two years ago I moved to southern Nevada from the Salt Lake area. What a contrast of cultures to go from Temple-dotted vistas to views of half-naked people of billboards. Fortunately, most of that tasteless stuff is relegated to the Strip and other resort areas. Where I live is relatively tame and untouched by flashing neon come-ons for tourists. The Strip is not for me yet, I confess that I can't help but admire the architecture of the newer casinos and hotels. It's like someone picked up the world's treasures and plopped them down in one place. The valley horizon boasts a pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, the New York skyline, a somewhat cheesy castle, a gorgeous Italian palace, a miniature Lake Como, a half dozen glass skyscrapers, and a towering space needle. It's the world's most interactive nightlight.

I've come to reflect on how I've spent the majority of my years in dish-like valleys. I like the way the land feels protected by strong walls. I especially loved the Central Coast of California. Santa Maria Valley was beautiful with its temperate weather and panoramic views of the ocean, strawberry fields, vineyards, and foothills of the Sierra Nevadas dotted with oak trees. I also came to love the Salt Lake Valley. Even though it is a high desert, a surprising amount of things flourish there and its snow capped majesty is breathtaking. It quickly felt like home because it mirrored the Santa Maria Valley in that the high mountains were to the east and the water was on the west side with the freeway bisecting the valley.

Now I've come to dwell in another valley that is a complementary combination of the last two. It has a population of over a million people so it's big city like SLC with an international airport and local LDS Temple. It is also heavily influenced by the west coast. Nevada is on Pacific time because most of the people who make the mecca here are from Los Angeles and we must cater to them. The local population has a liberal sprinkling of Mormons (who were the original founders of town) and California transplants. I love the diversity of cultures and languages spoken here. I like the oddities that come from resort type towns. I've passed the 'Zombie Apacolypse' store several times on my way to Chinatown and must investigate further. You know how we Mormons are about food storage and personal preparedness...

I like that although it is widely known as 'Sin City' and I recently moved from 'Zion.'  A place is what you make it. So for me my home is Zion in the midst of Babylon. It's a good reminder to be in the world but not of the world. In all my 'dwelling dishes' I've used landmarks such as mountains to navigate. In my previous two valleys I knew the mountains should be on my right if I was headed north and vice versa if I was headed south. Here the mountains, with the exception of Mt. Charleston, are all pretty much the same height so looking around the dish to determine direction can get confusing. Thank goodness for the Stratosphere Tower. It stands near the center of town and can be seen both night and day. All I have to do is find the Tower and I can figure out where I am. Likewise, I also have the Temple as a landmark. It is centered at the base of the mountains on the east side of town and has lovely spires which catch the light. When I lose my way spiritually, I need but look to the Temple for divine direction.

I like this place no matter what others say about it. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? Well, yes, if you bought a home here good luck trying to sell it to move elsewhere. You're also lucky if you have a job here, but this town is all about making your own luck. Vegas, baby! It should be my new maxim since we have expanded our family to include a native Nevadan, a Vegas baby  if you will.