Tuesday, February 23, 2010
7:58 PM | Posted by
Unknown
What seems like many years ago, I went to Vegas. I was heading down for a business trip by myself, and was going to stop in to Las Vegas to see some old friends before heading over to my meetings. It was December 31st, and late in the evening. I had hit a deer on the way down, and still had clumps of deer hair and flesh wedged into the crevices of my passenger side of the car. I was tired from a long drive and sleep apnea, which is what caused me to hit the deer.
I left Utah and started down through the canyons toward the valley floor to get to Las Vegas, and I had the surprise of my life. There were no lights on the side of the highway, no cars, no homes, no businesses, just the mountains and me in the inky blackness of the night. As I rounded one bend of the road the first sight of the city took my breath away. Usually when you think of Las Vegas you think of the Strip, glaring lights and glitz everywhere. From where I was none of that was visible, or at least not discernible. I pulled off the road to get a better view.
As I walked to the edge of a cliff and looked at the valley below me it was as though I was floating alone in the black vastness of space. All I could see above me was stars, and around me darkness. But in front of me was a golden net that had been cast by celestial fisherman, but frozen in mid cast. The lights of the city sparkled at that distance. All was golden glitter on a sea of black. The silence, the serenity, the beautiful grandeur of that moment is emblazoned in my mind. I hope I never forget it. Nothing moved, it just existed, it just was.
I could trace some of the lights in imaginary lines, but most just seemed to be like a cloud of glitter that had frozen in place as it settled on the valley floor. It was so peaceful and surreal. I don't know how long I stood out on that cliff in the freezing night just gazing at the web of twinkling gold in front of me. I wanted so much to reach out and touch it to see if it was real.
I know that what I saw clashes jarringly with the reality of Las Vegas, but in those few moments the magic was palpable.
I left Utah and started down through the canyons toward the valley floor to get to Las Vegas, and I had the surprise of my life. There were no lights on the side of the highway, no cars, no homes, no businesses, just the mountains and me in the inky blackness of the night. As I rounded one bend of the road the first sight of the city took my breath away. Usually when you think of Las Vegas you think of the Strip, glaring lights and glitz everywhere. From where I was none of that was visible, or at least not discernible. I pulled off the road to get a better view.
As I walked to the edge of a cliff and looked at the valley below me it was as though I was floating alone in the black vastness of space. All I could see above me was stars, and around me darkness. But in front of me was a golden net that had been cast by celestial fisherman, but frozen in mid cast. The lights of the city sparkled at that distance. All was golden glitter on a sea of black. The silence, the serenity, the beautiful grandeur of that moment is emblazoned in my mind. I hope I never forget it. Nothing moved, it just existed, it just was.
I could trace some of the lights in imaginary lines, but most just seemed to be like a cloud of glitter that had frozen in place as it settled on the valley floor. It was so peaceful and surreal. I don't know how long I stood out on that cliff in the freezing night just gazing at the web of twinkling gold in front of me. I wanted so much to reach out and touch it to see if it was real.
I know that what I saw clashes jarringly with the reality of Las Vegas, but in those few moments the magic was palpable.
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