In spite of being the only one, I didn’t feel as if I stood out in the crowd. I used my cane to feel the undulations of the sidewalk, but I didn’t feel that it held any significance or recognition of my vision loss from passersby on the street – well, except for one small instance. I was exiting the women’s washroom after a show performance when a voice behind me called, “Ma’am, excuse me ma’am.”
I hesitated, wondering what I might have done to attract the woman’s attention. It was indeed the recognition of my white cane.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” she said.” Where did you get your stick? My father needs one because he can’t see either!”
Her question was interesting both in its unexpectedness and the curiosity provoked by my cane.
It’s been ten years since we were last in Las Vegas and we did notice changes. For starters, everything was more expensive than we remembered. There were new buildings, busier streets, fewer pan handlers, and what seemed to be more tourists and more slot machines. There was the noise of traffic outside and the “noise” of music inside. We were especially disappointed with the water show at the Bellagio. While the display of the water fountains was still excellent, Lyle and I both remembered the fountains rising and falling in time with classical music. While I can’t remember which piece it was, the stirring music of the classics has been replaced with some funky rock tune that neither of us recognized. Was this lack of recognition a sign of our age I wonder?
All in all though, it was a good six days and a lovely break away from winter weather. We liked just walking around without thinking about cold and snow. On the day we were to leave, we sat on a bench outside just enjoying the warmth and the sunshine.
The picture with this post is of me standing with my white cane in front of one of the fountains on the grounds of Caesar’s Palace.
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| Sue in front of fountains at Cesear's Palace |
